Guyana: Clerk Defends Committee Formula Amid Row Over Walton-Desir’s Exclusion

The Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, has addressed the ongoing parliamentary controversy regarding the exclusion of Amanza Walton-Desir, the leader of the Forward Guyana Movement, from standing committees. On Friday, Isaacs provided a formal clarification, asserting that the seat-allocation formula is a regulatory mechanism rather than a tool for political favoritism.

This clarification comes in response to accusations from Walton-Desir, who has criticized the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government for allegedly attempting to diminish the influence of independent and minor-party voices within the legislature. Isaacs emphasized that committee membership is determined by the number of parliamentary seats held by each political party, following established procedural guidelines.

The controversy stems from a June 5 Parliamentary Select Committee meeting where nominations for Walton-Desir were rejected by an opposition coalition consisting of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and We Invest in Nationhood (WIN). To support the legality of this exclusion, Isaacs referenced Standing Order 94(1) of the National Assembly, which requires that Select Committees reflect the actual balance of power and party representation in parliament.

Isaacs noted that while achieving perfect proportionality in committee membership is challenging due to strict caps, the formula used by the Speaker is non-discretionary and unaffected by political changes. He stated, “The allocation method has been used for decades and is intended to ensure that parliamentary committees mirror, as closely as possible, the balance of political representation in parliament.”

This issue has sparked significant debate regarding minority representation in Guyana’s growing economy, particularly since Walton-Desir’s Forward Guyana Movement secured a single seat in the 65-seat legislature during the September 1, 2025, General and Regional Elections. Major opposition factions argue that parties should have the right to voluntarily relinquish their committee slots to support minor alliances, but Isaacs’ endorsement of the Speaker’s interpretation reinforces the current operational constraints ahead of the next legislative session.

Source: hgptv.com