Vote count didn’t matter then, why now?

Jun 19, 2026 Letters

Dear Editor,

The recent decision by the Chairperson of the Committee of Selection and Speaker of the House, Manzoor Nadir, to refuse my nomination by the WIN and APNU parties to the parliamentary sectoral committees demands a response. This is not about my own political fortunes; it’s about ensuring that the people of Guyana understand precisely what was done in their name and why it matters.

Members of Parliament from both the WIN and APNU parties determined that my participation on those committees would serve the national interest and accordingly nominated me for several committees. I thank both parties for their confidence and support.

However, this nomination was rejected by Gail Teixeira and Speaker Manzoor Nadir based on a vote-count eligibility formula. This selective invocation of a mathematical formula ought to concern us as Guyanese.

To illustrate this inconsistency, in 2020, Gail Teixeira nominated Lennox Shuman to the office of Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. Mr. Shuman represented a coalition whose Liberty and Justice Party component received 2,657 votes. The PPP/C Government used its parliamentary majority to secure his election, with no thought given to vote count.

Similarly, in 2023, Gail Teixeira nominated Dr. Asha Kissoon to that same office. Dr. Kissoon represented The New Movement, a party that received only 244 votes in the 2020 General Election. Again, the PPP/C Government used its majority to secure her election, disregarding vote count entirely.

In contrast, the Forward Guyana Movement received 4,585 votes in the September 2025 General Election, yet the same Government, and the same individual within that Government, now invokes a vote-count formula to prevent me from serving on a committee. The hypocrisy is glaring.

I have spent the better part of the last few months demanding that Parliament meet and that these committees be constituted and convened because parliamentary oversight is a constitutional necessity not a personal privilege. Parliament must work. That position has not changed because of this exclusion.

For my part, I have no intention of becoming consumed by arguments over committee appointments. The people of Guyana sent me to Parliament to ask hard questions and insist on answers. That mandate does not depend on a committee assignment.

I am also deeply concerned by the attacks directed at Ms. Odessa Primus and Mrs. Tabitha Sarabo Halley and reject them outright. These attacks must stop. Regardless of party affiliation, the responsibility of the Opposition remains the same: to hold the Government accountable and defend the interests of the people.

I have spoken with Ms. Primus and I have offered to support her and the work of the Foreign Relations Sectoral Committee and any other committee where my expertise may be of assistance.

The work continues, and it will continue in spite of PPP’s attempts to control the opposition through obstruction, misdirection and disinformation via social media and its abuse of public information channels.

Regards,

Amanza Walton

MP, Leader

Forward Guyana Movement

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Amanza Walton, Forward Guyana Movement, Letters, Vote count

Latest News