Cash grant needs parliamentary approval

Dec 17, 2025 Letters

Dear Editor,

Greetings, citizens! It is with a profound sense of bureaucratic awe and a dash of theatrical despair that I must address you today regarding the state of our national affairs. I write concerning two pillars of our democracy: Money and voice. Specifically, the fascinating dance between them—or perhaps more accurately, the elaborate tango where one partner is dancing with a vault of cash while the other is locked in a soundproof booth.

The Sanctity of the Purse

Let it be known, shouted from the rooftops of every minibus, and etched into every cook-up pot: Cash grants require parliamentary approval! This is not a suggestion, a friendly guideline, or a matter of discretionary kindness. It is the bedrock of fiscal responsibility, a sacred covenant between the treasury and the people’s representatives. No executive, however benevolent their intentions may be painted, can simply sprinkle Guyana dollars like confetti without the sober, deliberative approval of the National Assembly. This is Governance 101. This is the law. This is what separates a republic from a royal court. We must guard this principle with the fervor of a jaguar protecting its cubs, lest our treasury become a personal piñata for any administration.

The astonishing case of the disappearing opposition

And here is where our parody curdles into something resembling a tragicomedy. To ensure the rigorous, transparent, and inclusive parliamentary approval mentioned above, one would logically require a functioning… well, Parliament. A key feature of such a body is the presence of a Leader of the Opposition. This role is not ceremonial window dressing. It is the constitutional checkpoint, the designated questioner, the voice for those who did not vote for the government. It is, in short, kind of important.

Yet, astoundingly, the presumptive Leader of the Opposition (LOO), MP Azruddin Mohamed has / is being denied his rightful seat at the head of one side of the parliamentary aisle. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Manzoor Nadir, with precise prestidigitation, that would make the likes of Harry Houdini and David Copperfield blush, has managed to sideline this pivotal figure through a feat of procedural legerdemain so potent it has suspended the very architecture of balanced governance. We have a constitutional office, elected by the people, rendered a spectator in the very forum designed to hold power to account. It’s like hosting a football match but insisting the opposing team’s captain watch from the parking lot.

The Glorious Irony: A perfect storm of inconvenience! Behold the magnificent, Delphic masterpiece we are living:

We cannot legally spend money without Parliament.
We cannot have a full, legitimate Parliament while its second-most important member is in parliamentary exile.

This creates a situation so exquisitely absurd, it would be hilarious if it weren’t our country’s future at stake. It is a bureaucratic catch-22 worthy of Kafkaesque proportion. It allows for the perpetual motion machine of blame: “We want to help the people with grants!” cries one side. “Then bring it to Parliament!” cries the public. “But how can we? Mr. Azruddin Mohamed has not been elected! Parliament is not whole!”, whisper the walls of the chamber, missing a key piece of its puzzle.

My humble plea:

To the powers that be: we say this with all the seriousness a satirical letter can muster:

To the Executive: If the cash grant is righteous, necessary, and legal, you should have no fear of the debate. Submit them. Embrace the scrutiny. That’s the job.

To the Speaker: Your role is to steward the Assembly, not to stifle it. A Parliament without a sitting Opposition Leader is a bird with one wing. It can only fly in circles before crashing. Uphold the spirit and the substance of the Constitution, not just the loopholes.

To the Public: Do not be fooled by the pageantry. The debate over cash grants and the sidelining of the Opposition Leader are not separate issues. They are two symptoms of the same malaise: a disturbing comfort with weakening the checks and balances that protect all of us.

We are not asking for a favour. We are demanding the baseline operation of a democratic republic. We want our financial decisions approved by a complete House, and we want our elected officials to be able to take their elected seats.

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