The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) yesterday called for the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into the MV Barima tragedy that it says must be acceptable to all Guyanese, arguing that the country’s political polarization has undermined public confidence in official investigations.
In a statement, the GHRA said the “inability to have any good faith discussions on policy matters,” rooted in the “aggressive polarization” of Guyana’s major political parties, makes the prospect of an impartial and constructive inquiry into the tragedy a remote possibility.
According to the association, the resulting distrust of public information means that government assurances that the inquiry will be independent are insufficient to inspire public confidence.
“It is vitally important, therefore, that public investigation of the MV Barima tragedy does not descend into yet another instance of institutionalized political points-scoring, in which the Presidency, Ministers of Government and the police, are allowed to control the account of their own failures,” the GHRA said, adding that an investigative model acceptable to a broad cross-section of society is imperative.
The association proposed that the first step should be agreement on the principles and structure of an impartial inquiry.
Among its recommendations is that the Commission of Inquiry comprise six Members of Parliament, with three drawn from the government and three selected by the Leader of the Opposition. It further proposed that the commission be chaired by an eminent Guyanese or Caribbean jurist chosen by the six commissioners.
The GHRA also outlined a series of powers it believes the commission should possess. These include imposing a legal duty on public authorities and officials to give candid testimony, with the possibility of prosecution, including imprisonment, for witnesses who seek to mislead the commission, lie, withhold relevant evidence or otherwise obstruct its work.
It further said measures should be introduced to protect lower-level public servants from coercion by senior officials in relation to their testimony.
The association also proposed that the chairperson of the inquiry, rather than the agencies under investigation, should determine the admissibility of evidence and decide whether claims of national security can be invoked to withhold information.
In addition, it said the state should provide publicly funded legal representation for bereaved families, similar to that available to public bodies appearing before the commission, while all proceedings should be conducted in public and be open to broadcast media.
The GHRA posited that had similar safeguards requiring candour and honesty from public officials existed during previous inquiries, Guyana “would have been spared, for example, the trauma of curfews, violence and lies prompted by the contaminated investigation by official agencies into the death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge (2024) in a hotel swimming pool.”
It said the MV Barima tragedy presents an opportunity for Guyana’s political leadership to reduce political polarization by taking “a modest step in the direction of encouraging a culture of political candour at the heart of public service in general in Guyana.”
The association said it is encouraging broad public discussion on how to structure an inquiry that would command public confidence.
The MV Barima tragedy occurred on Saturday night when the ferry was on its way to Port Kaituma from Georgetown. Rescue and recovery efforts have continued and some 76 persons have been rescued while 53 bodies were recovered.
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