By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The Alliance For Change (AFC) has unequivocally condemned what it termed “oppressive and intimidating” actions by the Guyana Police Force against Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and fellow Members of Parliament, warning that the aggressive use of state apparatus against political opponents marks a dangerous drift toward authoritarian governance.
In a strongly worded press release issued on Thursday, August 27, 2026, the party criticized the late-night interception, intrusive searches, and public detention of opposition lawmakers, asserting that law enforcement must never be weaponized as an instrument of political suppression.
Proportionality, Rule of Law, and Constitutional Safeguards
While affirming that no citizen or elected official stands above the law, the AFC stressed that law enforcement conduct must remain lawful, proportionate, and strictly anchored in constitutional protections:
- Disturbing Treatment of Lawmakers: The party expressed grave concern over the intrusive searches and public humiliation directed at elected representatives.
- Chilling Effect on Democratic Dissent: The AFC emphasized that deploying aggressive state force against parliamentarians sends a chilling message to the wider society that political dissent will be targeted and penalized.
- Preserving Democratic Norms: The release noted that the controversy transcends individual political figures or the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, representing a direct threat to the preservation of constitutional democracy in Guyana.
“No Member of Parliament—or any citizen—is above the law. However, law enforcement must itself be lawful, proportionate, and respectful of constitutional rights,” the AFC statement affirmed. “The police must never become an instrument of political intimidation. When elected representatives can be subjected to humiliation and aggressive State action, it sends a chilling message that dissent may be punished and political opponents targeted.”
Warning Against Normalizing State Overreach
The Alliance For Change warned that authoritarian patterns take root when state-sponsored overreach becomes standard political practice:
- Weakening of Institutions: The party pointed out that democracy erodes when security forces are deployed to intimidate those who challenge executive power.
- Call for Unified Condemnation: The AFC urged the Government of Guyana and the Guyana Police Force to immediately halt all actions amounting to state harassment, calling on citizens across all political divides to reject acts of intimidation against constitutional office holders.
The party reaffirmed that it will not remain silent while state machinery is leveraged against political opponents, maintaining that defending institutional boundaries is essential for the protection of all Guyanese.
