Meeting with opposition

Sep 19, 2026 Editorial, News

(Kaieteur News) – The latest standoff between President Irfaan Ali and the parliamentary opposition has once again exposed the crooked way democracy is being practised in Guyana: what does consultation mean if elected representatives are invited to the table only after the government has already shaped the decision?

The opposition parties’ refusal to attend meetings called by the president has been criticised as obstructionist. But the stated reasons for their absence deserve examination on their own terms. Both WIN and APNU have raised concerns about meetings being convened without a clear agenda or supporting documentation, arguing that parliamentary committees cannot properly engage on matters of national importance without knowing what they are being asked to consider.