Leader of the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) Amanza Walton-Desir said on Tuesday that she would have resigned from the position of Public Works Minister if she were in Juan Edghill’s place following the capsizing of the MV Barima over the weekend, which left scores dead.
“I would have tendered my resignation…It is that simple,” Walton-Desir said.
Speaking during a joint opposition press conference, Walton-Desir said President Irfaan Ali should have removed Minister Edghill and the Head of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) from their positions to allow for an impartial investigation into the tragedy.
She argued that the President should have instead engaged international partners, along with local civic and human rights organisations, to conduct an independent probe into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
She said that Edghill’s resignation is needed, adding that the public should not be seeing the Public Works Minister appearing at government press conferences in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Walton-Desir said the presence of Edghill in the public eye could be traumatic for survivors and families who lost loved ones.
