THERE is an old Guyanese saying: “Stop acting big, stupid, like ya ain’t got no sense.” It is blunt, but sometimes it captures a political reality better than any carefully crafted speech.
That is where the opposition party, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), now finds itself.
Rather than allowing the country to mourn, support the survivors and families, and permit investigators to establish the facts surrounding the MV Barima tragedy, WIN has launched what appears to be a political witch-hunt. Its immediate demand for the dismissal of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar, is driven more by political theatre than by evidence.
This is premature politics at its worst.
The party, led by embattled Azruddin Mohamed and political newcomer Odessa Primus, has repeatedly inserted itself into the national tragedy in ways that appear designed to generate headlines instead of helping grieving families. Every press conference, every confrontation, every social media video seems carefully calculated to inflame emotions rather than contribute to meaningful solutions.
That is not leadership. Holding a government accountable is one of the most important responsibilities of any opposition. But accountability is not achieved by shouting outside a minister’s residence, provoking confrontations with public officers performing their duties, or encouraging public outrage before investigations have reached their conclusions.
If WIN genuinely wants answers, there are constitutional and democratic mechanisms available. It can request meetings with ministers; question technical officials; table motions in Parliament; demand committee hearings; propose legislative reforms and scrutinise the findings of the Commission of Inquiry. That is how a serious opposition behaves.
Instead, Guyanese have witnessed noise replacing substance.
Nothing is gained by turning a national tragedy into a political spectacle. Walking outside Minister Edghill’s home will not uncover the facts. Public confrontations with law enforcement officers will not improve maritime safety. Loud speeches cannot substitute for evidence, and outrage cannot replace due process.
Governments do not cease governing because the opposition demands political sacrifices. The affairs of the nation continue. Rescue operations continue. Recovery efforts continue. Investigations continue.
Understanding that requires judgment, not simply volume.
Every Guyanese wants justice for those who lost their lives aboard the MV Barima. Every Guyanese wants answers. Every Guyanese wants to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.
But justice cannot be built upon mob pressure or vigilante politics.
The government’s responsibility is not to satisfy political impatience. Its responsibility is competence—responding to the crisis, supporting survivors, recovering victims, identifying failures, prosecuting wrongdoing where it exists, and ensuring that no family experiences such heartbreak again.
That process began immediately.
President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali mobilised national resources alongside the Guyana Defence Force, the Coast Guard, emergency responders, volunteers and private citizens in one of the country’s largest search-and-rescue and recovery operations. Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, Minister Juan Edghill and other senior officials became directly involved in coordinating the national response while the government established an independent Commission of Inquiry and supported criminal investigations into those who may bear legal responsibility.
No reasonable person argues that government agencies should be shielded from scrutiny. Quite the opposite. Where negligence exists, accountability must follow.
Indeed, criminal charges have already been laid against members of the vessel’s crew, while the independent inquiry has been tasked with examining operational failures, identifying weaknesses and recommending reforms.
That is precisely how constitutional democracies are supposed to function. There is, however, an enormous difference between demanding accountability and exploiting grief.
Every democracy requires a strong opposition. A responsible opposition asks difficult questions, examines evidence, challenges government decisions and proposes better alternatives. It should never become a cheerleader for the government.
But neither should it become an opportunist. Responsible opposition politics requires patience, discipline and respect for due process, especially while rescue and recovery operations are still unfolding.
National tragedies should never become campaign stages.
The MV Barima disaster has understandably shaken the nation. Citizens deserve answers about maritime safety, passenger management, emergency preparedness and regulatory oversight. Those answers should emerge through investigations that follow the evidence wherever it leads, not wherever political ambition wishes to take it.
Premature conclusions help no one. Demanding resignations before investigations conclude may energise political supporters, but it does little to establish the truth. If wrongdoing exists at any level, it should be proven by evidence, not assumed through slogans, speculation or political rhetoric.
History teaches us that effective opposition leadership during moments of national crisis is measured not by who shouts the loudest, but by who contributes the most.
A mature opposition visits grieving families without turning every visit into a media production. It requests information through official channels. It asks hard questions in Parliament. It proposes reforms. It ensures inquiry recommendations are implemented.
That is accountability, leadership and public service.
Guyana has experienced periods when political disagreements were fierce but were accompanied by respect for democratic institutions. Leaders such as Winston Murray, Robert Corbin, Deborah Backer, Joseph Harmon and the late President Desmond Hoyte often engaged in robust political battles, yet they understood that some moments demanded seriousness, restraint and national responsibility.
Too often today, that maturity is absent.
The Ali administration will ultimately be judged by whether it implements the Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations, strengthens maritime regulation, improves passenger safety and prevents another catastrophe. Those are legitimate standards by which any government should be measured. The opposition should be judged by equally important standards.
Does it offer practical solutions? Does it strengthen democratic accountability? Does it help unite a grieving nation? Or does it deepen division in pursuit of political advantage?
These are questions the Guyanese people are entitled to ask. The grief surrounding the MV Barima belongs to every citizen. It is not the PPP’s grief. It is not the opposition’s grief. It is Guyanese grief.
That distinction matters because how political leaders respond to tragedy shapes public confidence in democracy itself.
The months ahead should therefore be devoted to reform rather than political theatre. Maritime safety regulations must be strengthened where necessary. Passenger manifest systems must be improved if weaknesses are identified. Emergency-response procedures should be reviewed. Every recommendation emerging from the independent Commission of Inquiry deserves careful consideration and implementation.
Those are the actions that will honour those who lost their lives—not partisan grandstanding.
Leadership is not measured by the harshest headline, the loudest accusation or the most confrontational video on social media. Leadership is measured by wisdom, judgment and the ability to place the national interest above political ambition.
Guyana will recover from the MV Barima tragedy. The pain will remain, but so too will our determination to build a safer future.
Above all, Guyana deserves leaders, whether in government or opposition, who understand that some moments in our history are simply too sacred to be reduced to partisan competition.