President  Irfaan Ali has announced what he describes as an independent international Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the MV Barima tragedy, but the process has already come under scrutiny after the Head of State unilaterally selected the inquiry without consulting the parliamentary Opposition, victims’ families, trade unions or civil society.

The announcement, made on Saturday, comes after sustained national pressure for an independent investigation into the July 18 sinking of the 87-year-old MV Barima, one of the deadliest maritime disasters in Guyana’s history. The ferry capsized while sailing from Georgetown to Port Kaituma with an estimated 179 passengers and crew aboard. Seventy-three bodies have been recovered, 76 people rescued, while dozens remain missing.

Yet, despite repeatedly calling for national unity, the President chose to establish the Commission behind closed doors, bypassing the very groups that have spent the past week demanding transparency, accountability and public confidence in the investigative process.