AG blasts Opposition over failure to address national issues

…criticises silence on policy alternatives on cost of living, climate change, Venezuela threat

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall has criticised Guyana’s parliamentary Opposition, describing it as the most inexperienced in the country’s history since Independence and accusing its members of failing to address major national issues while concentrating on allegations and personal attacks.

Speaking on the Starting Point podcast over the weekend, Nandlall said the Opposition had demonstrated ineffectiveness and incompetence, arguing that its members had failed to understand the responsibilities that come with their positions and to offer constructive criticism or guidance on matters of national importance.
He said an effective Opposition was essential to democracy and should provide policy alternatives, scrutinise Government decisions and demonstrate the capacity to serve as an alternative Government.
“I am a passionate believer that we must have an effective and competent Opposition,” Nandlall said. “It is an important component of democracy.”
However, he argued that the current Opposition had fallen short of that responsibility, pointing to what he described as its failure to meaningfully engage with issues such as the cost of living, the Venezuela border threat, climate change, and regional food security.
On the cost of living, Nandlall questioned whether Opposition members had presented substantive proposals apart from calls for salary increases, arguing that such measures required an understanding of their wider implications.
He also criticised the Opposition for its silence on Venezuela’s recent statements at the United Nations, which he said had serious implications for Guyana, as well as on climate change and food security.
Guyana’s vulnerability to climate change, given that much of the country’s coastal population and infrastructure are situated below sea level, made the issue particularly important, he said.
Nandlall further noted that Guyana had been identified as having a significant role to play in ensuring food security across the region, while oil production and environmental concerns continued to shape national and international discussions.
He argued that these matters required sustained engagement from Opposition parliamentarians, rather than allowing their attention to be consumed by isolated complaints about roads, private property, fencing and pump stations.
While acknowledging that allegations of corruption and concerns about local infrastructure were legitimate areas for scrutiny, the Attorney General said they should not constitute the Opposition’s entire agenda.
“Those things may be important, but they cannot consume the parliamentary Opposition of a country. You are the parliamentary Opposition of the country. You are the alternative Government,” he said.
Nandlall urged Opposition members to provide the public with substantive arguments on how the Government could improve its decisions and management of national affairs.
He also criticised what he described as an increase in vulgarity, personal attacks and abusive language in political discourse, particularly on social media.
According to Nandlall, the platform had been transformed into an environment characterised by crude and abusive exchanges, which he said had contributed to a deterioration in political debate.
He maintained that his comments were not intended simply to attack the Opposition, but to highlight the need for a more responsible and effective political alternative.

Inability to get international respect
The Attorney General also turned his attention to the circumstances surrounding United States-indicted Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, referring to US criminal charges, an extradition request and sanctions imposed by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Nandlall argued that the Mohamed is unable to command international respect as Opposition Leader. He also referred to a Reuters report that implicated Mohamed in alleged serious criminal activity.
The Attorney General stated that Opposition members had a responsibility to the tens of thousands of Guyanese they represent, regardless of political differences, and should bring a higher standard of leadership to the National Assembly.
He said Guyana needed an Opposition capable of engaging meaningfully with the country’s most pressing challenges and holding the Government accountable through informed, constructive and policy-focused debate.