Deputy Speaker, Dr. Asha Kissoon took a firm stand in the National Assembly on Friday, urging the international community to remain confident in Guyana’s democratic institutions. Kissoon’s address came after a dramatic walkout by opposition Members of Parliament (MPs), following a contribution by their leader Aubrey Norton, who refused to support the motion tabled by government calling for national solidarity against Venezuela’s provocation.
“The international community is looking at us, and this is what they’re seeing,” Kissoon stated.
In a rebuke of the opposition’s behavior she added, “Let me take this opportunity to also call on the international community to let them know that good sense still prevails in this Parliament, and not to listen to the nonsense and the division that has been pushed by the opposition, but to continue supporting us on this issue with Venezuela.”
Condemning what she described as a spectacle in Parliament, Kissoon accused the opposition of politicizing a matter of national sovereignty. The deputy speaker stated, “Clearly, what we have seen is a classic case of them mistaking the word Parliament as a synonym for circus, and the performances were not even entertaining.”
Moreover, the Deputy Speaker also emphasised the urgency of national unity as Venezuela prepares to proceed with regional elections that could further complicate the longstanding border controversy. Venezuela, as previously reported, plans to hold elections on May 25 regarding its claim over Guyana’s Essequibo region.
“How could we stand here before this honorable house and play politics at a time like this? When in two days, Venezuela wants to take part of our territory.
“How dare they stand before this honorable house and try to get political gains and mileage through something as important as this,” Kissoon said.
She reaffirmed her support for the government’s legal approach through the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and called on Guyanese at home and abroad to reject “divisive politics” in this critical period.
