President Irfaan Ali has announced that on Sunday he will appoint a five-member Commission of Inquiry to probe the MV Barima ferry tragedy, which has claimed more than 70 lives, with dozens more still missing.

The Commission is expected to be made up distinguished experts and professionals with extensive knowledge and experience in relevant fields, including law, marine engineering, maritime safety, and disaster investigation, the President said.

In a televised broadcast on Saturday, the President said the Commission will examine the causes and contributing factors to the disaster, including the loading of the vessel, passenger boarding procedures, conditions on board, the vessel seaworthiness, maintenance history, and compliance with maritime laws and safety standards.

It will also examine the conduct and competence of the master and crew, passenger management and life-saving arrangements, as well as the role of weather, sea conditions, and other operational factors.

 He said the Commission will also undertake a review of the search, rescue, and recovery operations, and assess the adequacy, coordination, and effectiveness of the response by all agencies and stakeholders involved.

 It will also be empowered to determine whether any acts of negligence, misconduct, dereliction of duty, or institutional failures contributed to or caused this tragedy, and to recommend any legislative, regulatory, institutional, or operational reforms necessary to prevent a recurrence.

The announcement by the President comes as the Opposition have already announced their plan to move to the National Assembly on Monday with a motion of their own for the establishment of an independent Commission of Inquiry and calling on the Government to include the Opposition in any plans to establish a Commission of Inquiry.

In response to President Ali’s announcement on Saturday, the opposition APNU said while it acknowledges the announcement, it believes the announcement falls far short of the level of accountability the Guyanese people deserve.

“Most troubling is the President’s refusal to place Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill and Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar on administrative leave pending the outcome of the inquiry. Both ministers have direct oversight responsibilities for the maritime sector. In any mature democracy, public officials with ministerial responsibility for a sector in which such a catastrophic failure has occurred would step aside to ensure public confidence in the investigative process. Their continued presence in office raises serious concerns about independence, transparency, and accountability”, the APNU said.

The party said equally concerning is the President’s decision to move forward with the Commission of Inquiry without any consultation with the parliamentary opposition, despite the Opposition being a major political stakeholder representing a substantial section of the Guyanese people.

Related posts:

National Toshaos Council calls for transparent and independent probe of MV Barima ferry tragedy APNU writes Speaker seeking debate and discussion on Terms of Reference for inquiry into MV Barima tragedy MV Barima ferry tragedy must be addressed at level of National Assembly -MP Campbell APNU, WPA and AFC call for Edghill to be removed and for independent Commission of Inquiry into MV Barima tragedy