Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed has rejected President Irfaan Ali’s handling of the MV Barima tragedy, accusing the Government of excluding the parliamentary Opposition from the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry (COI) while urging Guyanese to prepare for nationwide protests in pursuit of accountability and justice.

Mohamed’s statement came just hours after President Ali announced on Saturday he will appoint a five-member Commission of Inquiry, comprising local and international experts in law, marine engineering, maritime safety and disaster investigation, to probe the circumstances surrounding the sinking of the MV Barima.

According to the President, the Commission will investigate the ferry’s seaworthiness, maintenance history, passenger boarding and loading procedures, compliance with maritime laws, crew competency, emergency response and whether negligence, misconduct, dereliction of duty or institutional failures contributed to the disaster. It will also recommend legislative and regulatory reforms to strengthen Guyana’s maritime safety framework. This morning President Ali named the five-member Commission