We Invest In Nationhood

STATEMENT BY REGION TEN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
Hon. Dr. Ryan M. Richards BDS, MSM, M.P

Region 10 Governance Crisis Deepens as Regional Administration Proceeds with 2027 Budget Consultations Without the Participation of the Elected Regional Democratic Council.

I wish to express my profound concern over the worsening state of democratic governance and regional administration in Region No. 10 (Upper Demerara–Berbice), where the Regional Executive Officer (REO) continues to refuse to reconvene the statutory meeting of the Regional Democratic Council for the completion of the election of a Regional Chairman and Regional Vice Chairman, as required by law.

This situation has now reached a deeply troubling stage.
While the election of the leadership of the 10th Regional Democratic Council remains incomplete, the Regional Administration has reportedly commenced consultations for the preparation of the 2027 Regional Budget without the guidance, participation, oversight, or input of the elected component of the Regional Democratic Council, the eighteen Councillors who were duly elected by the people of Region 10 and sworn into office following the 2025 Regional Elections.

This development raises serious questions about legality, accountability, transparency, and respect for democratic governance.

The Regional Democratic Council is not merely an advisory body. It is the elected local democratic organ established by law to represent the interests of the people at the regional level. The Councillors are not ceremonial office holders. They are elected representatives entrusted with the responsibility of participating in policy discussions, identifying community priorities, scrutinizing expenditure proposals, and ensuring that public resources are allocated in a manner that reflects the needs of the people.

The continued exclusion of the elected Councillors from the budgetary process undermines the very purpose for which they were elected and weakens the principles of representative democracy that underpin Guyana's system of local and regional government.

What is even more alarming is the apparent continuation of functions by the Chairman of the 9th Regional Democratic Council despite the fact that all eighteen Councillors of the 10th Council have already taken their Oath of Office before the REO.
The transition from one Council to another is a cornerstone of democratic governance. Once a new Council is sworn in, democratic legitimacy shifts to that newly constituted body. The continued exercise of authority by officials associated with the previous Council raises significant concerns regarding the proper observance of democratic norms and the spirit of the Local Democratic Organs framework.

Equally troubling are reports that the Chairman of the 9th Council is actively inviting stakeholders to submit proposals for inclusion in the proposed 2027 Regional Budget.

Such actions create confusion regarding authority, accountability, and representation. They risk undermining public confidence in the institutions of regional government and create the appearance that the elected representatives of the people of Region 10 are being sidelined from matters that directly affect the development and future of their communities.

The consequences of this governance vacuum are far-reaching.
Without an elected Regional Chairman and Vice Chairman:
• The statutory committees of the Council cannot be properly constituted and made operational, including the Regional Disaster Preparedness Committee, significantly undermining the Region's capacity to provide coordinated leadership, oversight, and response during critical events such as the ongoing flood situation affecting residents and communities throughout Region 10.
• The elected Council is unable to effectively exercise oversight over the Regional Administration.
• Regional programmes and projects proceed without the full scrutiny contemplated by the law.
• Budgetary priorities may not accurately reflect the needs identified by the elected representatives of the people.
• Public confidence in local democratic institutions is weakened.
• The constitutional principle of representative governance is compromised.
• The integrity of regional tender and procurement processes is undermined as the elected Councillors are prevented from exercising their lawful role in recommending representatives to the Regional tender board. This absence of elected oversight diminishes transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the stewardship of regional resources and public funds.

At its core, this matter is not about political parties. It is about the right of the people of Region 10 to be governed through democratic institutions that operate in accordance with the law.
The people voted. Councillors were elected. Councillors were sworn in. The democratic process must now be allowed to run its lawful course.

I therefore call upon the relevant authorities to act with urgency and responsibility by ensuring that the Regional Democratic Council meeting is reconvened without further delay so that the election of the Regional Chairman and Regional Vice Chairman can be completed in accordance with the Local Democratic Organs Act.

The rule of law must prevail over administrative convenience. Democratic institutions must be respected. The rights of the people of Region 10 must be protected.

No region of Guyana should be denied the full benefit of democratic governance. The people of Region 10 deserve nothing less.

Hon. Dr. Ryan M. Richards BDS, MSM, M.P
Co-operative Republic of Guyana

Statement by Hon. Natasha Singh, MP
Rejecting Aubrey Norton’s False Claims Regarding Opposition Leader Hon. Azruddin Mohamed

I wish to respond to a statement posted by Demerara Waves on the 3rd of June 2026. I noticed Mr. Aubrey Norton’s claim that Mr. Azruddin Mohamed entered politics to avoid extradition. That simply does not withstand scrutiny, but it does provide for old rhetorics on a playground for wickedness and persistent manipulation.

It is this kind of irresponsible and misleading kind of leadership that led to my departure from the PNC.

However, for clarity to the Guyanese people, let us examine the timeline of events that addresses Mr. Norton’s statement. Mr. Mohamed, a businessman who is widely known for his humanitarian work, accepted the request of an overwhelming call by the people across all ten administrative regions of Guyana for him to actively participate in the 2025 elections. He decided on the 26th of May 2025, to announce his candidacy for President in the 2025 General and Regional Elections. In October of 2025, the Government of Guyana actively participated to bring extradition proceedings against Mr. Mohamed and his father, just four and a half months after announcing his candidacy. Then came the indictments against Mr. Mohamed and his father, all heavily influenced by the Government of Guyana.

I would like the people of Guyana to pay attention to this. Mr. Mohamed did not need to be in politics for any reason. He was a happy family man with thriving businesses, but it was the people of Guyana who called him to service, primarily because they needed leadership that was not forthcoming from the then Opposition. Mr. Mohamed gave the people confidence, based on his humanitarian work, that he has the interests of the people at heart.

I wish to further bring to your attention that because of the decision of the Mohameds to participate in politics in Guyana, I firmly believe that they have endured treatment beyond what is conscionable from the PPP government. The father has endured tremendously. The sister has endured tremendously. She was politically targeted, charged and ordered to go to the station on Christmas Day, along with her husband who was also charged. Her vehicle was taken away from her. That turned out to be very different in the court. The court did not agree with the charges, which in itself demonstrates the political persecution and vindictiveness of the PPP Government against the Mohameds.

The political persecution of the Mohamed family has been evident in a sustained pattern of actions that many Guyanese view as selective, excessive and vindictive. Since Mr. Azruddin Mohamed answered the call to enter public life, members of his family have been subjected to extraordinary scrutiny, public attacks, legal challenges and enforcement actions that are disproportionate and politically motivated. Their business operations have been forcibly shut down through the removal of licences necessary to conduct business, including security-related licences, while more recently, and without any convincing public justification, personal firearm licences were revoked, leaving members of the family vulnerable.

Beyond administrative actions, the family has also been subjected to repeated public attacks by senior government officials, including the Vice President and Attorney General, as well as sustained criticism through PPP-aligned media personalities and reporters. The detention of family members, seizure of property, public vilification and continued targeting of their businesses, along with constant surveillance by Special Branch police clearly show Guyanese that state institutions and the Police Force are being used as instruments of political punishment rather than impartial guardians of the law.

These are not the experiences of a family seeking protection through politics; they are the experiences of a family paying a price for entering politics.

Guyanese must understand that unlike Aubrey Norton, the Mohameds do not need politics to live or survive, but rather it is because of the people’s call.

The Guyanese people know that it is these kind of old rhetoric that has now become a reflection of what happened in the previous Coalition. It is a reflection of the publicly known status of an almost defunct PNC. It is irresponsible and immature for Mr. Norton, who has been in politics for so many years to continue making these kinds of statements. It is injurious and runs contrary to the genuine call for Opposition unity made by Mr. Terrence Campbell on the 17th of May, 2026.

I want to put on the record that this kind of Statement coming from the Leader of the PNC, sends a message of division and dilutes the calls by others of the said coalition for broad Opposition unity ahead of the next General Election. Opposition parties should engage constructively with and support the Leader of the Opposition in the interest of strengthening the broader movement for change. Genuine calls for Opposition unity must be accompanied by actions that foster cooperation and mutual respect, rather than statements that divide people and undermine the very objective of building a stronger Opposition.

I do agree with Mr. Campbell on the basis that there needs to be unity, but statements like these made by Aubrey Norton divide people rather than bring them together to work for a common goal.

Aubrey Norton’s statement about the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Azruddin Mohamed, should be condemned, as it is nothing more than old rhetoric meant to mislead the Guyanese people and sow division among Opposition parties.

Today, the Office of the Leader of the Opposition was pleased to support a nursery school in Region Five with a donation of trophies for its upcoming graduation ceremony on 1 July 2026.

Education is one of the most important investments we can make in our nation’s future, and we are honoured to contribute in a small way to recognizing the hard work and achievements of these young students.

We extend our best wishes to the graduates, their families, and the dedicated teachers who continue to shape the next generation of Guyanese.

'Region 7 still waiting for basic services despite trillions in spending' Leader of the Opposition, Azruddin Mohamed, is calling on the PPP/C Government to urgently address the longstanding challenges facing residents of Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), including inadequate access to water and electricity, deteriorating schools and health facilities, and poor infrastructur...