Our empty parliament and the world’s silence

Dec 24, 2025 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

---

(Kaieteur News) – Christmas is at our doorstep. In Guyana, this is often a time for peace in our parliament. Opposing politicians usually take a moment to wish each other well. It is a brief truce in a political fight.

But this year, there will be no Christmas greetings in our National Assembly. Because our parliament is not meeting. It has not done real work since July.

Think about that. For nearly half a year, our elected representatives have not sat together. They have not debated laws. They have not questioned ministers. They have not scrutinised how our tax money is spent. Our government continues to spend billions. Yet no one in parliament is officially checking how.

This is not normal. This is not democracy in action. It is a freeze. A dangerous stall.

In a healthy democracy, parliament is the engine room. It is where the people’s voice is heard through their MPs. When that engine stops, the whole country drifts. Spending goes unchecked. The government operates without regular, public questioning. This is how mistakes are hidden. This is how accountability dies.

The strange thing is the loud silence from abroad. Especially from powerful friends who often speak about democracy.

I mean the ABCE countries. America, Britain, Canada, and the European Union. These nations are always talking about the importance of strong institutions. They give speeches on good governance. They say parliaments must hold governments to account.

But here in Guyana, our parliament is closed for business. And from these powerful friends, we hear nothing. Not a word of concern. Not a simple question. This silence is bewildering.

We know America is distracted. It has its own deep political divisions. Its diplomats might be careful about commenting on other countries’ politics right now.

But what about Britain? What about Canada? What about the European Union? They are not having a democratic crisis. They have teams of diplomats here. They see what is happening. Or do they?

They must know that a soon-to-be six-month parliamentary standstill is a major problem. It is a red flag for democracy. By now, they should know the source of the blockage. They should be asking pointed questions. They should be urging all sides to let parliament work.

Their silence sends a terrible message. It suggests that this situation is okay. It implies that a frozen parliament is not a threat to democracy. That is a false and dangerous idea.

It makes ordinary Guyanese wonder. Why are they so quiet? Do they not care about our democracy? Or is there something else going on?

There is only one other explanation. Perhaps one of these powerful countries is part of the problem. One of them may be the source of the deadlock. If that is true, their silence makes sense. They would not want to draw attention to a crisis they helped create.

But this is just speculation. We do not know. And that is the point. Their silence creates space for these dark suspicions to grow. It fuels conspiracy theories. It damages their own credibility as champions of good governance.

Guyana is at a crucial moment. We have great wealth coming from our oil and gas resources. History shows that resource-rich countries often suffer from corruption and poor governance. That is why a strong, active parliament is more important than ever. It is our best defence against the misuse of our national wealth.

The world’s democratic nations should be cheering for our parliament. They should be the first to sound the alarm when it stops working. Instead, we get quiet.

This is not just Guyana’s problem. When democracy is weakened in one country, it is weakened everywhere. It sets a bad example. It tells strongman leaders elsewhere that they can shut down parliaments without consequence.

To the ABCE countries, I ask this: Do you believe in your own principles? If you do, your silence is a mistake. It is a betrayal of the values you claim to promote.

Speak up. Issue a simple, shared statement. Call for the immediate resumption of parliamentary sittings. Urge all political leaders to put the country’s governance first. This is not about taking sides. It is about supporting the institution that is the heart of democracy.

Your continued silence is deafening. And it tells us everything we need to know about how much you truly value our democracy.

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

---

• Christmas, Democracy, Parliament, Peeping Tom

---