Even as she registered her support for the passage of the Regional Security System Bill 2025, Opposition Parliamentarian, Amanza Walton-Desir voiced concerns about the extent to which Guyanese will truly benefit from this new apparatus. During her contribution to the debate on the bill on Monday evening, the politician praised the overarching principles of the document as it brings Guyana in line with other CARICOM nations that will ensure the RSS is part of the local security framework for member states.
She acknowledged that the RSS is no stranger to Guyana as it provided support with several profile matters in the past. Her reservation however pertained to the independence of the RSS, whether it would be allowed to do its work and provide its report in full for the public to peruse. Walton-Desir made a strong call for citizens not to be misled into believing that the RSS would be working in Guyana as an autonomous body.
“The RSS is not and has never been an independent investigative body in this context. It is there to lend support, to augment capacity. Under this treaty, which is annexed to this bill, the RSS does not have any legal authority to operate outside of and above the local institution.
“And that must be made clear. It is a support mechanism, and it is only activated at the request of the host state,” said the parliamentarian.
Reiterating her support for the bill, Walton-Desir
stressed that that the transparency gap cannot be ignored, adding that citizens have a right to know the full picture.
Overall, Walton-Desir said the public could find itself being denied both transparency and truth. “We therefore object to this organization being used as a political tool, a smokescreen,” said the politician, adding the RSS’s credibility would only be misappropriated by the PPP for political theatre. “We must see it for what it is.”
