The Government of Guyana is not happy with recent statements from the Diplomatic Representatives of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union about the prolonged absence of Parliamentary sittings. The Government this afternoon announced that a Parliamentary sitting is now set for the 5th June, 2026.

The Parliament has not met for more than 95 days, and in interviews carried in the Kaieteur News on Wednesday, the Western Diplomats noted the importance of parliamentary democracy and the need for Parliamentary sittings and oversight to take place.

Their statement to the newspaper followed the concern raised by Opposition Member of Parliament and Leader of the Forward Guyana Movement, Amanza Walton. Earlier this week, Walton wrote to the international community on the issue and also presented an official petition to the Clerk of the National Assembly officially registering her concern.

In responding to the diplomats, Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Teixiera, today said the Diplomats ought not be listening to just one side, as she accused them of not seeking information on the issue from the Government.

“It is regrettable that the Ambassadors and those Embassies and High Commission did not see it fit to first engage the Government as the ruling party in the House in terms of what its plans were for Parliament, and or if there was a sitting planned. It is regrettable because had they done that, they would have been told that there was a sitting planned for June the 5th, but unfortunately there seems to be like a new style of diplomacy where our friends and allies in these embassies believe they should only listen to one side of the story and not listen to the other side, and the other side in this case is the Government”, the Governance Minister said.

Minister Teixiera said she hopes future engagements from the diplomatic community will be much more respectful.

“So we wish to make it very clear that we hope this is not going to be the norm on issues regarding legislative agenda and the way in which we in Guyana run our parliament. We hope that the engagement will be much more profound and respectful”, she said.

The Forward Guyana Movement, which has one seat in the Parliament, has been pressing for parliamentary sittings and has accused the Government of trying to avoid oversight of its massive spending. In addition to the absence of the parliamentary sittings, the various parliamentary sectoral committees, including the important Public Accounts Committee, are also still to be activated and convened.

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