HGP NIGHTLY NEWS – APNU Member of Parliament Sherod Duncan has issued a sharp warning over what he described as a deeply troubling breach of democratic norms following the Government’s launch of its Five-Year Development Agenda outside the National Assembly, with the parliamentary opposition excluded from the process.
In a public statement, Duncan argued that the controversy surrounding the rollout is not about scheduling or convenience, but about constitutional principle. He said a multi-year national development agenda is not a political presentation to be staged at will, but a matter that belongs squarely within Parliament, where elected representatives are empowered to debate, scrutinize, and hold the Executive accountable.
According to Duncan, the decision to unveil the agenda outside a closed National Assembly sends a powerful and unsettling message. He said the optics of the President delivering a long-term national vision outside the legislature suggest an intentional avoidance of parliamentary oversight and a growing tendency to treat democratic institutions as optional rather than essential.
The opposition MP further criticized what he described as the deliberate exclusion of opposition parliamentarians from the event, noting that they represent a substantial segment of the electorate. Duncan said the structure and staging of the rollout ensured that dissenting voices were locked out of what should have been an inclusive national exercise, undermining claims that the agenda reflects the collective will of the country.
While acknowledging that issues such as the delayed broadcast of the event are secondary, Duncan said they contribute to a broader pattern of disregard for democratic norms and transparency. He emphasized that meaningful scrutiny of the Government’s proposals has not been avoided, but merely postponed, and will take place through parliamentary and public channels once the opportunity arises.
Duncan maintained that Guyanese deserve a development vision shaped through open debate, constitutional process, and democratic accountability. Any attempt to sidestep Parliament in setting the national agenda, he warned, risks weakening public trust and eroding the foundations of representative governance.
