Latest update April 14th, 2026 12:03 AM
Government’s ongoing disrespect for Parliament and the guardrails of transparency and accountability
Dear Editor,
As I began reading Jermaine Figueira’s letter, “The President is fulfilling his mandate,” KN, April 12, 2026, I couldn’t help wondering if he was auditioning for a job with the PPP administration as he challenged his social media targets to shift their focus and change their narrative from the President’s personal accessories to more important issues.
But then he also targeted Opposition elements that participated in the social media gabfest to shift their focus. He pretty much put a tongue-lashing on the Opposition, until I realized he may have missed the opportunity to demand of the PPP government to respect the will of the people, and to also adhere to the guardrails of transparency and accountability.
I don’t know if he’s aware that this may be the first time in the post-Burnham/Jagan era that our contemporary politics has produced a government that refuses to recognize and respect the main parliamentary Opposition. Is it possible that this crass disrespect for the 109,066 Guyanese who voted for WIN warrants the social media gossiping about Ali’s bling-bling?
The government needs to come straights and full with all Guyanese on the status of WINs role in Parliament and other government arms because the PPP is no better than WIN, regardless of what the Mohameds did or what the PPP and or the U.S authorities plan to do to the Mohameds. Guyanese voted out the PPP in 2015 because of pervasive corruption, then voted it back into power in 2020 because the Coalition failed to deliver on promised changes, but then two years later, Bharrat Jagdeo and famous tenant Su were caught in a video recording by Vice Media talking about their individual roles in awarding government contracts. Su even blabbed about collecting and splitting fees. President Ali promised an investigation and then reneged. Dammit, the Mohameds came out of that same the PPP led by Jagdeo, and that’s the source right there.
Editor, the same way Jermaine eagerly recognises Ali is fulfilling his mandate, he owes it to readers to show that he is equally eager to question or challenge government’s modus operandi. After the last election date was set, Jermaine was the outgoing Chairman of the PAC when did an interview with Stabroek News, “Figueira regrets that PPPC years not scrutinized by PAC,” July 8, 2025. His regret was that when Elections Date was announced the Committee was still reviewing the year 2019, thereby missing the chance to review the four years the PPP was in power. That disclosure came as a massive shock to readers who thought the PAC was on schedule with its reviews of audited accounts.
Now that Jermaine is signing off letters as a former Member of Parliament, he should put on his regular Guyanese cap and make the PAC inaction a hot button issue. He can compliment the government if he wishes, but he should also openly challenge the government to explain to the nation why it has failed to perform its constitutionally mandated responsibility via the PAC. We’re talking about trillions of dollars being taken from both the Natural Resource Fund and the Consolidated Fund between 2020 to 2024. The Auditor-General did his job of presenting reports to the House Speaker for each of those five years, with the 2024 report being presented on 25th of September 2025.
I was informed that, as of March 2026, the names of the Public Accounts Committee were published – Gail Teixeira, Juan Edghill, Vishwah Mahadeo, Sanjeev Datadin, Alister Charlie, Juretha Fernandes, Ganesh Mahipaul, and David Patterson – but given that the Chairperson is usually drawn from the main parliamentary Opposition party, does Jermaine know who is the current Chairperson? Do he know when was the last time the PAC met? Does he know if the PAC was able to complete reviewing 2019 and started reviewing years 2020 through 2024?
The PPPs aversion to accountability and transparency in the people’s business may well be why many have concluded the ‘C’ in PPPC ceased representing Civic a long time ago. Still, the government must be able to walk and chew gum at the same time or be able to execute development projects and be accountable and transparent for contracts and spending at the same time. It’s not rocket science or brain surgery. Other governments are doing it.
Regards,
Emile Mervin
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