-opposition throws Parliament into uproar over MV Barima tragedy
Parliament descended into a state of chaos yesterday as Opposition parliamentarians staged a noisy protest, demanding the removal of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar over last week’s deadly MV Barima tragedy.
The disruption began shortly after the sitting commenced at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, and continued throughout the entire session including government’s presentation of a statement from President Irfaan Ali, which was delivered by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall SC.
Opposition MPs pounded loudly on their desks, struck tables with water bottles, and repeatedly slammed the nameplates from their desks while calling for the two ministers to go.
As the protest intensified, several Opposition members rose from their seats and crossed the floor of the National Assembly to the government side, surrounding the area where Nandlall and other government officials were speaking. Their chants drowned out much of the Attorney General’s presentation, making large portions of the President’s statement inaudible.
Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir appealed for order but was unable to regain control of the chamber. Despite the disruption, he instructed Nandlall to continue reading the President’s address.
The protest escalated further when Opposition MPs moved into the aisles surrounding the Speaker’s chair before making their way along the government benches, standing only inches away from government members as they attempted to speak.
Government MPs remained seated throughout the demonstration and hardly responded to the chants, insults or repeated accusations from the Opposition. Edghill and Indar sat impassively throughout the proceedings.
With the Opposition continuing to stand in front of speakers, Nadir eventually advised government representatives to move to a higher microphone in the chamber so they could continue addressing the Assembly. Several ministers and government MPs complied and continued their presentations from the alternate location.
Opposition members maintained that Parliament could not proceed with “business as usual” while Edghill and Indar remained in office, arguing that the ministers should at least step aside while investigations into the maritime disaster are conducted. The protest came one day after Ali announced the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the sinking.
Among the most vocal protesters was WIN MP Odessa Primus, who described Edghill as “an absolute disgrace” and said she had expected better from Prime Minister Mark Phillips. “Today’s session cannot be business as usual. We will be disrupting the whole thing today,” Primus declared.
She questioned how government ministers would have reacted had their own children been aboard the vessel, adding that their families would never have been forced to travel under similar conditions.
Forward Guyana Movement leader Amanza Walton-Desir said Edghill should have stepped aside voluntarily, arguing that he had not even attempted to save face by even sending in some sick leave.
APNU MP David Hinds also criticised the government while accusing its members of showing no remorse over the disaster.
“Y’all have no dignity. Whatever happens in this country, y’all are responsible,” Hinds shouted across the chamber.
WIN MP Deon La Cruz accused the government of neglecting poor Indigenous people, saying victims of the tragedy were not being treated with dignity. “The eye pass. They’re buried like dogs. We fed up,” he expressed, referring to reports that some victims had been buried together while others remained missing at sea.
Although much of Nandlall’s reading of the President’s statement was inaudible because of the protest, he conveyed Ali’s assurance that no stone will be left unturned in determining what caused the tragedy and preventing a recurrence. The President also acknowledged that grieving families deserved answers and appealed to Guyanese not to allow the disaster to become a source of political division.
The disorder marked one of the most turbulent sittings of the National Assembly in recent years, with proceedings repeatedly interrupted as Opposition MPs insisted they would not allow normal parliamentary business to continue while the two ministers remained in office.
The protest follows mounting public pressure for accountability after the MV Barima capsized on the night of July 18 near the mouth of the Pomeroon River while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma.
The disaster claimed 73 lives, making it Guyana’s deadliest maritime tragedy. Seventy-six people were rescued following an extensive search-and-rescue operation involving local authorities, private vessels and regional partners. Around 30 others are believed to be missing. The tragedy has prompted calls for accountability, sweeping reforms to maritime safety and an independent investigation into whether negligence or institutional failures contributed to the sinking.
On Sunday, the President announced a five-member international Commission of Inquiry to investigate the tragedy. The Commission has been tasked with determining whether negligence, misconduct or institutional failures contributed to the disaster, examining compliance with maritime safety regulations and emergency response procedures, and recommending reforms aimed at preventing a similar tragedy. Its findings are expected to be made public.
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