Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, SC, has blasted A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) for what he called a “legally impossible and politically desperate” attempt to change Guyana’s Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act, even as the same matter is actively before the courts.
In a fiery takedown on Tuesday, Nandlall accused APNU MP Terrence Campbell of trying to rewrite the law through Parliament while simultaneously challenging it in the judiciary, something he says violates the basic tenets of democracy and the separation of powers.
“You can’t have it both ways,” Nandlall declared on his programme Issues in the News. “The National Assembly cannot debate or deal with a matter that is sub judice, that’s a long-established rule rooted in our constitutional framework. It’s called knowing the law.”
Campbell’s proposed amendment seeks to repeal and replace Section 16 of the NRF Act, which governs how oil revenues are withdrawn and spent. But Nandlall made it clear that Standing Order 41(2) forbids any parliamentary reference to matters currently before the court. “Once a case is engaging the judiciary, Parliament is prohibited from touching it. It’s that simple,” he said.
The Attorney General also pointed out that Campbell himself is the architect of the legal challenge currently occupying the court’s attention. “It’s almost comical,” Nandlall remarked. “He filed a lawsuit in February challenging Section 16 — and now he wants to amend that very section in Parliament. I don’t know if Mr. Campbell isn’t getting legal advice, or if those advising him are just plain reckless.”
Nandlall accused the opposition of political grandstanding, saying the amendment was “not about substance — it’s about spectacle.” He noted that Campbell’s proposal barely changes the existing law, describing it as “a cosmetic rewrite with no real effect.”
Currently, the NRF Act requires all withdrawals from the Fund to be deposited into the Consolidated Fund for national development priorities and disaster relief projects. Campbell’s version simply swaps the wording, saying the revenues should be used for infrastructure and development projects, including “initiatives aimed at realising an inclusive green economy.”
“It’s practically the same sentence with different punctuation,” Nandlall scoffed. “If you don’t like the way it’s written, win an election and write your own law. You can’t get twelve seats and expect to govern the country through the back door.”
The Attorney General said the move exposes a deeper problem, the opposition’s “chronic misunderstanding of how Parliament and the courts work.” He added that such attempts only serve to waste time and mislead the public, instead of engaging meaningfully on policy.
“The judiciary, legislature, and executive each have their roles. The standing orders, the constitution, they all protect that independence,” he explained. “This stunt by APNU is an example of how not to do politics.”
While the opposition insists that the NRF needs stricter oversight and clearer spending limits, Nandlall said the government remains confident that the current framework already safeguards transparency and accountability. “The Natural Resource Fund is one of the most closely monitored pieces of legislation in this country,” he said. “But instead of working to improve it responsibly, APNU prefers to chase headlines. It’s political theatre, and bad theatre at that.”
