FGM takes Guyana’s 94-day parliament shutdown to int’l bodies

May 19, 2026 News

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…writes CARICOM, CPA and IPU over “democratic erosion”

(Kaieteur News) – The Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) has officially escalated its grievances over Guyana’s political state to the global stage. In a series of formal dispatches sent on Monday, the political movement condemned what it terms an “over 90-day parliamentary shutdown,” sounding the alarm on a broader pattern of democratic erosion, restricted media freedoms, and stymied opposition representation.

Amanza Walton, MP, Leader of the FGM, spearheaded the international appeal by dispatching formal correspondence to the leadership of several heavy-hitting regional and international bodies. Among the recipients are the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Organisation of American States (OAS), and ParlAmericas.

KN understands by way of the statement that the diplomatic community has also been put on notice. FGM confirmed it has brought these developments directly to the attention of foreign diplomats, including representatives from the influential ABCEU (American, British, Canadian, European Union) countries.

According to the FGM, the National Assembly has not been convened for a single sitting since the 2026 National Budget was passed on February 14, 2026, a legislative hiatus that has now stretched to 94 days. The movement notes that no formal resolution extending any recess has been published, nor has any public constitutional or procedural justification been offered by the government for the prolonged absence.

The FGM contends that this legislative freeze directly violates the core tenets of the nation’s foundational laws, arguing that the prolonged failure to convene Parliament undermines the constitutional principle of representative democracy enshrined in Article 9 of the Constitution of Guyana, which vests sovereignty in the people, exercisable through their elected representatives and democratic organs.

Furthermore, the statement points out that the legislative standstill is happening precisely when oversight is needed most. The movement argues that the continued shutdown of Parliament has effectively suspended meaningful legislative scrutiny during a period of unprecedented petroleum revenues and major public expenditure. The letters dispatched by MP Walton do not look at the parliamentary hiatus in isolation. Instead, they outline a systemic degradation of democratic norms over the last half-year.

The correspondence raises serious concerns regarding what it describes as a broader pattern of democratic erosion, including:

• Restrictions on media access to parliament.
• The suppression of parliamentary speech.
• The ongoing failure to constitute key parliamentary oversight committees, including the sectoral committees and the Public Accounts Committee, more than six months after parliament reconvened following the 2025 General and Regional Elections.

According to FGM, the absence of these committees significantly weakens parliament’s ability to provide continuous scrutiny of government policy, administration, and expenditure at a time when institutional vigilance and transparency are critically important.

Anticipating pushback regarding national sovereignty, the FGM was careful to frame its international blitz as an appeal for accountability rather than an invitation for foreign meddling.

“A parliament that does not sit cannot effectively scrutinise public spending, represent the people, or hold power accountable. At a time of unprecedented oil wealth, democratic oversight in Guyana should be expanding, not disappearing,” said Walton. The FGM emphasised that these appeals are not invitations for interference in Guyana’s sovereign affairs, but rather requests for regional and international democratic institutions to uphold and reaffirm the parliamentary and democratic standards to which Guyana has voluntarily committed itself as a member of the international community.

The various international organisations have been formally requested to consider interventions consistent with their respective mandates. Specifically, the FGM is looking for public reaffirmations of the importance of regular parliamentary sittings, calls for the immediate reconvening of Parliament, rigorous monitoring of democratic governance standards, and active engagement on issues relating to media freedom and the protection of opposition representation.

While the international community has been put on alert, the FGM maintains that the true battleground for Guyana’s democracy remains at home. The movement noted that the responsibility for protecting democracy in Guyana ultimately rests with the people of Guyana themselves and their constitutional institutions. However, they maintained that as a state party to numerous democratic frameworks, Guyana’s democratic trajectory remains a matter of legitimate international concern.

Stating its refusal to back down, the FGM concluded its brief by declaring it will continue to pursue all lawful, democratic, and institutional avenues available to ensure that parliamentary democracy, transparency, accountability, and constitutional governance are preserved and protected in Guyana.

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• Amanza Walton, CARICOM, CPA, democratic erosion, FGM, parliament shutdown

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