WIN, APNU at loggerheads over speakers for budget debates

Jan 31, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) parties are yet to agree on the number of persons from each side who will be allowed to speak for 30 minutes during next week’s budget debates.

On Friday, Leader of APNU Aubrey Norton told reporters that his party has no qualms in discussing how the presentations will be made by the opposition members of parliament.

Acknowledging that WIN is the main opposition party, Norton in response to questions on its ‘shadow cabinet’ said the construct is a convention and has no basis in constitution or standing orders.

“While we are disposed to negotiating and talking, we have to represent the people who would have elected us. They didn’t elect us to talk just to one issue or two issue. They elect us to talk to all the issues that are affecting them, and we took a decision that we will identify shadows to do that. Now the major reason is representation, (and) that doesn’t prevent any other speaker or any other member of parliament on the other side from doing the same and representing,” he said.

The politician reminded that APNU has 12 representatives in the national assembly and each person is compelled to address all sectors addressed in the 2026 budget which was read by Dr. Ashni Singh on Monday.

In like fashion, Opposition member of parliament Ganesh Mahipaul said that with its 12 members APNU will be focus on the budgetary allocations for all 20 ministries. He said, the government is likely to have 27 members speak for 30 minutes (plus five, if an extension is requested and granted). This he said must be matched by the opposition.

According to Mahipaul, 20 opposition MPs ought to present for 30 minutes while the others will be afforded 15 minutes each, barring a five-minute extension- once approved.

“The APNU reached out to WIN in good faith and that was because we do want to see a smooth flow of the budget presentations, and we also want to not deprive members of the opportunity to utilize the maximum available time so that they can be able to speak on the budget with great clarity.

Unfortunately, the discussion between WIN and APNU and is at an impasse because WIN wants to take 13 of the 20 allotted 30 + 5 times or as we want may want to term it as shadows, and they uh want to give Amanza one also which makes it 14, and they want to give APNU five and the leader of the opposition getting one the one-hour period,” Mahipaul disclosed.

As a result, he said APNU spoke to the concept of proportionality.  “Proportionality has given the People’s Progressive Party 36 seats. It has given WIN 16 seats. It has given APNU 12 seats and FGM one seat; proportionality. Therefore, and I should go forward and say proportionality is also the basis on which we will be sitting on the various committees of the National Assembly, and proportionality gives in a 10-member committee as we know the PPP six members the APNU two members and the win party two members in a 10-member committee. In a nine-member committee the PPP will get five, the APNU will get two and the WIN will get two. So, proportionality decided on all of that,” he explained.

APNU strongly believes that the proportionality should dictate the speaking time for opposition parties. This Mahipaul proffered would see 11 of WIN’s MPs speaking for 30 minutes each while four other MPs will speak for 15 minutes each. The Leader of the Opposition will maintain his hour-long presentation.

Further, Mahipaul told reporters that eight of APNU’s MPs will speak for 30 minutes and four members will speak for 15 minutes while Amanza Walton-Desir of Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) will speak for 30 minutes.

However, the APNU MP said that WIN does not agree with the formula causing an impasse.

“I am guided having communicated with the Chief Whip of the People’s Progressive Party Gail Texieria that no list has been submitted to her as yet from the opposition with reference to the order of speaking nor the time allocated for speaking,” Mahipaul told reporters.

Notwithstanding, he assured that APNU’s list of speakers will be submitted by close of business on Friday should efforts to negotiate with WIN fail.

Meanwhile, WIN’s leader Azruddin Mohamed told Kaieteur News on Friday hypothetically questioned what will occur should both parties decide they want to shadow the Ministry of Education and no agreement is met.

Mohamed said he was informed that with no consensus, the parties will most likely have to split the time.

“That is what we are hearing. So, I don’t find it as a, you know, as a problem. I don’t see it as a problem,” he said.

Upon further probing on whether there were ongoing discussions between APNU and WIN the newly elected Opposition Leader said, “I reached out to Ganesh in terms of the speakers, and so, yes, I did…No, it’s not settled as yet, but as I mentioned, they can shadow and we can shadow is just the time like reducing half you understand?”

Further, Mohamed said that opposition Chief Whip Tabitha Sarabo-Halley will submit WIN’s list of speakers ahead of Monday’s debates.

On the question of proportionality, Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs told Kaieteur News in an invited comment that the concept of proportionality applies to parliamentary committees.

He said, “I think they have to work that out between themselves, as far as I am aware” while reminding that as far as he is aware there is no proportionality formula for the allocation of time to budget presentations.

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• APNU, budget, debates, loggerheads, speakers, win

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