By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The political fallout following the catastrophic capsizing of the 87-year-old state ferry M.V. Barima escalated further on Monday as Amanza Walton-Desir, Member of Parliament and Leader of the Forward Guyana movement, formally demanded the immediate resignation of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill.
Addressing journalists during a press briefing, Walton-Desir—a trained attorney specializing in international aviation and maritime law—argued that the government’s decision to suspend lower-level port staff while leaving senior executives in place completely undermines the integrity of the investigation into the tragedy, which has so far claimed 41 lives.
The Argument for Ministerial Recusal and Independent Inquiry
Walton-Desir outlined the legal and administrative grounds necessitating executive resignations and strict investigative independence:
- Principle of Ministerial Accountability: The government’s suspension of the Kingston stelling loading and dispatch team established a clear precedent that individuals whose oversight falls within the scope of the investigation must step down while inquiries proceed.
- Recusal of Overlapping Authorities: Junior Public Works Minister Deodat Indar and senior executives at the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), including the Director-General, must be excluded from directing the probe, given their direct oversight of maritime safety protocols.
- Breach of SOLAS Obligations: As a signatory to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), Guyana is legally bound to execute a casualty investigation adhering strictly to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Casualty Code.
- Conflict of Interest in Ministerial Statements: Minister Edghill’s premature public pronouncements denying overloading or mechanical failure before formal audits concluded compromise the impartiality of any state-led inquiry.
[ SOLAS & IMO CASUALTY INVESTIGATION FRAMEWORK ]
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┌──────────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────┐
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[ Independent Lead Panel ] [ Core Technical Audits ]
- Non-aligned maritime safety experts - Vessel structural seaworthiness
- Exclusion of Ministry & MARAD heads - Port dispatch & manifest protocols
- Direct cooperation without managerial control - Emergency preparedness & ELT function
“A public authority cannot credibly investigate every aspect of its own conduct where its own decisions, oversight, policies, and systems may themselves form a part of the chain of causation,” Walton-Desir stated firmly. “A minister cannot publicly pronounce on the very matters that an independent investigation is required to examine and then remain in office while that investigation proceeds. His continued tenure directly undermines public confidence in the independence and impartiality of the process.”
Strict Compliance with International Safety Codes
Drawing on her specialized background in maritime law, the Forward Guyana leader emphasized that the victims’ families are entitled to a probe that meets international standards rather than an internal administrative review. She noted that a compliant investigation must independently examine the physical seaworthiness of the aging vessel, historical maintenance logs, regulatory enforcement by MARAD, and the timeline of the search-and-rescue response.
Walton-Desir concluded by calling on the government to appoint an independent, technically qualified panel capable of executing the casualty audit without administrative interference, stressing that adherence to international maritime law is essential to restoring public trust and preventing future loss of life on Guyana’s waterways.
