Guyana’s democratic test

Dec 23, 2025 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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(Kaieteur News) – Guyana is at a crossroads. It is now a nation of global interest, blessed with newfound oil wealth. But a quiet political crisis is brewing at home. This crisis could invite serious international consequences. It could turn off the financial taps from the European Union.

At the heart of the matter is a simple, constitutional duty. Guyana’s Opposition parties must meet to elect a Leader of the Opposition. The position is vacant. The constitution says it must be filled. Yet, the required meeting has not been called. This is not a minor political squabble. It is a direct threat to the health of Guyana’s democracy.

Why does this one position matter so much? The Leader of the Opposition is a key part in our system of checks and balances. This person has a role in determining who from its side sits on parliamentary committees. The Opposition, led by the Leader of the Opposition, oversees government spending. It ensures diverse voices are heard in the National Assembly. Without this leader, parliamentary scrutiny is weakened. The government faces less accountability. This makes democracy weaker for everyone.

The European Union has very clear rules on this. The EU’s founding treaty states it is built on “democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights.” It says the Union is founded on “representative democracy.” For the EU, strong parliaments and strong opposition voices are not optional. They are core values.

The EU has a history of acting when these values are attacked abroad. When the military overthrew democracy in Myanmar, the EU imposed harsh sanctions. When Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela sidelined the elected parliament, the EU sanctioned his officials. When Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus rigged an election and crushed protests, the EU did the same. The reason given is always the same: “undermining democracy and the rule of law.”

The EU was loudly and firmly on the side of democracy in Guyana just five years ago. In 2020, when there was an attempt to rig the general election, the EU was vocal. It joined with other nations to demand a fair count. It threatened sanctions against those who would undermine the vote. That strong stance helped defend the will of the Guyanese people.

Today, the silence from the EU is noticeable. The current crisis is slower. It is not a violent coup. It is fast approaching the five-month impasse of the 2020 general and regional elections.  It is a quiet erosion; a constitutional duty being ignored. But the effect is similar. It weakens the foundation of parliamentary democracy. If the EU remains true to its own laws and past actions, it cannot stay silent forever.

What could happen if the EU decides to act? The consequences would be severe.

First, Guyana could face targeted financial sanctions. The EU has a powerful tool called that allows it to ban travel for individuals responsible for undermining democracy. Officials seen as blocking the constitutional process could find themselves personally targeted. The same could apply to government officials.

More broadly, the EU could suspend or cancel development funding. Guyana benefits from EU projects and partnerships. These funds could dry up overnight. This would be a major blow. It would directly upend national planning and the 2026 budget.

An EU sanction is a bright red flag. It signals that a country is a democratic risk. While EU funding, including support for the Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy is not significant, any decision by the EU to impose financial sanctions in Guyana could have a domino effect. Other western financial agencies including the Inter- American Development Bank and the World Bank could follow suit.

If the EU acts, these financial institutions could follow. They might delay or cancel promised loans. They could make new lending much harder and more expensive. Guyana’s ability to draw down on committed funds for infrastructure and social development could be strangled. The flow of credit needed to manage the economy could tighten sharply. The nation’s oil-fueled ambitions could grind to a halt, not from a lack of money, but from a lack of trust.

Guyana is playing a dangerous game. It is betting that the world is so focused on its oil wealth that it will overlook a decaying democratic practice. This is a miscalculation. The EU’s identity is built on defending democracy.

Guyana’s future prosperity depends as much on strong democratic institutions as it does on oil revenues. One cannot thrive without the other.

The EU’s patience is not infinite. Its silence now should not be mistaken for acceptance. Guyana must fix this constitutional breach itself, quickly. If it does not, it may soon find that its most important international partnerships, and its financial stability, are on the line. The world is watching, and the rules apply to everyone—even an emerging oil giant.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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• crossroads, democratic, European Union, Guyana, Peeping Tom

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