HGP Nightly News – President Irfaan Ali says he will continue reaching out to the parliamentary opposition despite its decision to stay away from Tuesday’s meeting with members of two key parliamentary committees.
Ali described the opposition’s absence as disappointing and “puerile”, but said he would not allow the breakdown in engagement to stop him from trying to bridge the gap between the Executive and the Legislature.
“Even if alone,” Ali said he would continue engaging.
The President went ahead with the meeting with committee members who attended, using the engagement to discuss issues he considers critical to Guyana’s national interests, including the ongoing International Court of Justice (ICJ) proceedings over the Venezuela border controversy and the recently negotiated Third Country National Agreement between Guyana and the United States.
Ali had said on Monday that both matters have significant implications for Guyana’s sovereignty, security and international partnerships, which was why he wanted opposition representatives at the table.
He said he intends to continue inviting parliamentary committees to engage with him and expressed hope that the opposition would eventually recognise the value of participating.
The opposition parties, however, maintained that their decision was not simply a refusal to meet the President.
According to statements issued by the opposition, members received invitations through the Speaker of the National Assembly but were not provided with an agenda or sufficient information outlining what was expected to be discussed.
The Office of the Leader of the Opposition said it took “umbrage” at the manner in which the engagement was initiated, accusing the President of bypassing the constitutional office of the Opposition Leader and undermining Parliament’s independence.
The office said clarification had been sought from the Speaker and that requests for an agenda or explanation of the meeting’s objectives did not produce a meaningful response.
APNU, whose members also sit on the committees, said it had no objection in principle to meeting with the President. The party argued, however, that meaningful parliamentary consultation should take place before agreements are finalised and signed.
APNU said such meetings should be supported by documentation, including proposed agreements, financing arrangements and assessments of their implications.
Without that information, the party argued, opposition lawmakers risked being placed in the position of simply endorsing decisions that had already been made rather than helping to shape them.
FGM also supported the decision to stay away, arguing that the dispute extends beyond the missing agenda and reflects what it described as the President’s continuing disregard for Parliament as an institution.
The Office of the President, meanwhile, maintained that all committee members had been duly invited. It said opposition members had not formally responded to the invitation by the time Tuesday’s meeting began.
Members who attended welcomed the engagement and expressed interest in continued dialogue.
Ali said the disagreement would not end his efforts to engage the opposition.
For the President, the repeated refusal to participate amounts to another missed opportunity for dialogue. For the opposition, the issue is whether consultation is taking place early enough, with enough information and through the appropriate parliamentary channels.
That divide remains unresolved, but Ali made clear that he intends to keep extending the invitation.
