In order to ensure there are fair and factual discussions in the National Assembly, the government has called for a review and update to address outdated language within the House.
On the sidelines of the 2025 budget presentation on Friday, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira explained the origin of unparliamentary words, which were taken from the British House of Commons.

She said that these words were taken before Guyana became independent.
She explained, “Many of those words we don’t use…some of us, especially the younger generation haven’t got a clue what those words are.”

The Minister’s response came at a time when Opposition Parliamentarian Amanza Walton-Desir questioned the ban on using certain words in the National Assembly, specifically “corruption.”
The Minister said while she understands you cannot accuse one of being “corrupt,” the concept, itself, should not be banned.

Using her portfolio to explain why, Teixeira said that many times when she is addressing anti-corruption measures, she is told she is “out of order,” despite these discussions being crucial.
This is why the government is calling for a review of the rules. The Minister’s call to reassess the parliamentary language rules parallels the recent 2024 update to the parliamentary dress code, which she said was also outdated.

“We will have to go back and bring it back more formally onto the agenda of the parliamentary management committee. It’s not just the word corruption, it’s all the other words. You know, some of them are kind of strange for us now.”

With Guyana undergoing a rapid transformation in all spheres, the Minister said that a review of the rules is important.

Also, on Friday, before the budget was read, Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir issued a strong warning to Parliamentarians regarding the use of prohibited words and phrases during parliamentary sessions.

“I have again circulated to everyone words and phrases which have not been allowed in our Parliament,” he said.

The Speaker then stated: “I can safely say, I came in 1992, first elected to this House and met these words,” while firmly stating that he would enforce it for both the government’s side and the opposition’s own.