Opposition Parties Demand Accountability, Calls Grow For Independent Probe Into Mv Barima Tragedy

Bipartisan Pressure Mounts: Opposition Coalition Demands Independent Commission of Inquiry into MV Barima Maritime Disaster

By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News|

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Mounting a unified political front following the catastrophic capsizing of the 87-year-old ferry MV Barima, Guyana’s parliamentary and extra-parliamentary opposition parties have issued a collective demand for an independent, multi-agency Commission of Inquiry (COI).

The opposition’s joint pushback follows revelations from Public Works Minister Juan Edghill that 32 of the 67 rescued survivors were missing from the ship’s official passenger manifest—an administrative lapse that has severely undermined public trust and compromised search-and-rescue efforts.

Leader of the Opposition Azruddin Mohamed declared that the gravity of the tragedy demands complete institutional transparency, calling for an unredacted audit of all maritime operations surrounding the disaster.

“Every single aspect of this tragedy must be subjected to a transparent and independent investigation,” Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed asserted. “The conflicting accounts between state officials and survivors cannot be ignored. While the government claims the vessel was struck by an unexpected wave, survivors are giving consistent accounts of heavy overloading, unbalanced cargo, and severe mechanical instability.”

The Political Demand Framework

The coalition of opposition parties has outlined a series of administrative and executive demands to ensure an impartial investigation:

                       [ OPPOSITION COI INVESTIGATIVE SCOPE ]
                                          │
       ┌──────────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────┐
       ▼                                                                     ▼
 [ Vessel Seaworthiness & History ]                                  [ Regulatory & Administrative Audit ]
 - Audit of the G$124.5M dry-docking tender                           - Criminal review of manifest falsification
 - Mechanical logbooks & engine maintenance                           - MARAD oversight & stelling dispatch rules
       │                                                                     │
       └──────────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┘
                                          ▼
                             [ Emergency & Safety Response ]
                             - Review of Coast Guard ELT deployment times
                             - Compliance with international maritime safety codes

State Secures Kingston Wharf CCTV as Management Sent Home

While Leader of the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) Amanza Walton-Desir urged political leaders to set aside partisan rhetoric to focus on the immediate welfare of the victims’ families, the Alliance For Change (AFC) maintained that impartiality is impossible while sitting ministers retain oversight of investigating their own departments.

The AFC has formally petitioned the executive to launch a full Commission of Inquiry (COI) with broad powers to subpoena records regarding maritime safety compliance, regulatory oversight by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), and the physical seaworthiness of aging state vessels.

In an effort to preserve the integrity of the ongoing probe and prevent the tampering of evidence, the Government of Guyana has formally sent home the entire administrative and loading management team responsible for dispatching the MV Barima from the Kingston Goods Wharf. Furthermore, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has officially seized and secured all CCTV footage from the Kingston stelling, mapping the vessel’s final loading hours to identify unlisted passengers and verify total cargo tonnage before the ferry set sail on its fatal journey.