By Javone Vickerie | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall SC has publicly accused opposition political parties of exploiting the national grief, trauma, and anger surrounding the fatal M.V. Barima ferry disaster to score political points.
However, relatives of victims, indigenous leaders, and civil society advocates have countered that their demands for ministerial resignations and independent oversight are rooted in calls for genuine public accountability, transparency, and systemic reform rather than partisan politics.
Attorney General Points to “Primary Offenders” and Political Exploitation
Speaking during his weekly broadcast program Issues in the News, Attorney General Nandlall defended the Director of Public Prosecutions’ (DPP) decision to charge the vessel’s captain, chief mate, and goods superintendent with 72 counts of murder, labeling them the “primary offenders” responsible for shipboard management.
Nandlall condemned opposition disruptions during recent parliamentary sittings and criticized political figures present at search-and-recovery zones:
[ STATE VS. CIVIL SOCIETY POSITIONS ]
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[ State & Executive Defense ] [ Families & Civil Society Demands ]
- Points to shipboard crew as primary offenders - Direct physical salvage of vessel to recover remains
- Defends DPP's 72 murder counts as legal right - Resignation/leave for Ministers Juan Edghill & Deodat Indar
- Accuses opposition of "prostituting national grief" - Broad inclusion in COI Terms of Reference
“The Opposition has seized this moment to exploit it for their narrow political gains… They have exploited people’s anger, trauma, pain, grief, and anguish in prosecuting and prostituting their narrow political agenda,” Attorney General Anil Nandlall stated. “A mishap of this proportion has occurred and you’re going to object to charging the captain who has command, or the person responsible for the cargo and passenger manifest?”
Nandlall also criticized opposition MPs for loud protests during the National Assembly sitting, arguing that the parliament floor should have reflected national mourning rather than political confrontation.
Families and Civil Society Push Back on Political Narrative
Despite the government’s characterization of public outcry as politically driven, bereaved family members and advocacy organizations maintain that their grievances stem directly from state negligence and unaddressed safety warnings:
- Eyewitness Relatives: Diane Cort, who lost her husband and brother-in-law in the capsizing, recounted observing severe overloading and improper weight distribution prior to the ferry’s departure, raising immediate concerns that were ignored by authorities.
- Amerindian Peoples Association (APA): Led by Executive Director Jean La Rose, the APA staged demonstrations demanding that accountability extend beyond the crew to the Ministry of Public Works and the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD).
- Demands for Ministerial Leave: Multiple civil society groups—including the Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc. (TIGI)—have called for Public Works Minister Bishop Juan Edghill and Minister Deodat Indar to step aside or proceed on leave during the international Commission of Inquiry (COI) to prevent any appearance of executive interference.
The Call for Structural Reform
With the five-member international Commission of Inquiry chaired by Justice Godfrey Smith officially sworn in, civil society leaders stress that national healing depends on an uncompromised investigation that addresses missing passenger manifests, unseaworthy vessel approvals, and regulatory oversight failures alongside criminal court proceedings.
