Dear Editor,
The recent political landscape in Guyana has raised a pressing question that many neutral observers and party loyalists alike are whispering behind closed doors: Does the main opposition party’s proverbial boat have a leak? (No pun intended.)
While a healthy democracy relies heavily on a robust and credible opposition to hold the ruling administration accountable, the trajectory of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party suggests a ship taking on water faster than its crew can bail it out.
Much of this instability stems directly from ongoing controversies surrounding opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed. From lingering international legal battles and U.S. federal indictments to recent high-profile maritime standoffs with security forces on the Demerara River, the party’s leadership has become the story itself. Rather than focusing purely on legislative oversight and national policy, the opposition finds itself constantly bogged down by defensive maneuvers, conflicting accounts of law enforcement actions, and intense public scrutiny over its commander’s legal baggage.
Yet, looking past the legal friction, the situation exposes a stark exercise in realpolitik. In the ruthless calculus of modern political survival, power and populist momentum often eclipse ethical considerations or institutional norms. The WIN leadership appears to operate on the cold assessment that raw anti-establishment leverage and deep-seated public frustrations can override diplomatic alienation and state pressure. By prioritizing high-stakes confrontation with state authorities over pragmatic institution-building, the party treats domestic political maneuvering as a zero-sum game, regardless of the collateral damage to its broader credibility.
A boat does not sink from the water around it; it sinks from the water that gets in. When a party’s leadership is perpetually mired in personal controversies and adversarial brinkmanship, the entire institutional mission takes on water.
To fulfill its vital democratic duty, the opposition needs to shift its focus outward toward the everyday issues that matter most to citizens, rather than internal survival and continuous friction. If they continue to ignore the rising tide within their own command structure, they risk leaving voters entirely stranded without a credible, stable alternative come election day.
Sincerely,
Keith Bernard
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