The We Invest in Our Nation (WIN) party has declined an invitation for members of two parliamentary committees to meet with President Irfaan Ali, arguing that the proposed engagement disregards the constitutional role of the Leader of the Opposition and the independence of Parliament.
In a statement issued by the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, WIN said the manner in which the President sought to engage members of the Foreign Relations Committee and the Economic Services Committee raises concerns about whether the Executive is attempting to bypass the Leader of the Opposition.
The party said Opposition Members of Parliament collectively operate under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition, a constitutional office established to provide oversight and accountability to the Executive.
WIN said the President’s decision to approach individual parliamentary committees, rather than engage the Leader of the Opposition, was troubling, particularly because the invitation was issued without an agenda or an indication of the matters to be discussed.
“These are parliamentary committees, not departments of the Executive,” the statement said.
According to WIN, clarification was sought from the Speaker of the National Assembly, including a request for an agenda or an indication of the purpose of the proposed meeting, but the party said no meaningful response was received.
“Under these circumstances, WIN does not believe it is appropriate for its Members to participate in the meeting,” the statement said.
The party also linked its decision to what it described as the wider treatment of opposition members and supporters in recent weeks, including detention, the seizure of phones and vehicles, and the treatment of persons while in state custody.
WIN specifically raised concerns over the detention of three young men, alleging that they were forced to remain undressed in a cell with other men.
“The three young men detained by the authorities were made to remain in a state of undress in a cell with other men; this constitutes a serious violation of human dignity and raises grave human rights concerns,” the statement said.
The party said it could not ignore those developments while simultaneously participating in engagements that would suggest normal relations between the institutions exist.
“We cannot ignore these developments and then participate as though normal institutional relations exist,” WIN said.
Despite declining the meeting, the party said it respects the Office of the President and remains willing to engage with the Executive under what it described as appropriate institutional conditions.
“The President is not the state. The Executive is not Parliament. And the Opposition is not the enemy of Guyana,” the statement said.
WIN said it would continue to engage with the Executive where there is transparency and respect for democratic institutions.
“Our democracy requires more than elections. It requires respect for Parliament, respect for political opposition, respect for human dignity, and the freedom of citizens to disagree with those in power without fear,” the statement said.
“We will not participate in the normalization of conduct that undermines those principles.”
