HISTORY will now reflect that Guyana’s political opposition, for the first time, has withdrawn support for the government on matters pertaining to the ongoing Venezuela border controversy, which is further exacerbated today because of growing aggression from the Bolivarian Republic.

This was according to Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney-General, Anil Nandlall, who noted that prior to Friday, political actors were consolidated and cemented in their support for Guyana’s territorial integrity.

His comments come as the parliamentary opposition led by Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton, staged a walkout of a sitting of the National Assembly during which a critical motion reaffirming Guyana’s sovereignty was being debated.

The motion which was presented to the House by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Hugh Todd, sought to make several resolutions including the expression of the full support for the Government of Guyana in its efforts to protect and defend Guyana’s territorial integrity through peaceful and lawful means including through the ongoing proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Nandlall during his contributions, stated: “The political actors in Guyana from whichever political party, they were singular, they were cemented and they were consolidated in their support for Guyana’s territorial integrity.

“The history of this country will now record, unfortunately, that Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the People’s National Congress has broken that immaculate record on this matter.”

Earlier on Friday, as Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton contributed to the motion following its presentation by the Foreign Affairs Minister, he went on to note that he could not support the important motion.

While ending his presentation, Norton told the House that this was “the furthest we will go in this presentation.”

It was then that Norton led a walkout with the other members of his party and the Alliance For Change (AFC). As a result of this, no other member of the APNU or AFC made their presentations as scheduled.

Deputy Speaker, Dr Asha Kissoon, who sits on the opposition side of the National Assembly, registered her disappointment in the APNU and AFC for their lack of support on such a critical motion.

“I would have never believed that today I need to stand here to say as a member of opposition, I support this motion. What this should have been is us standing together and saying as Guyanese, Essequibo is ours and we stand together untied,” she said.

Against this backdrop, she noted that the action of the opposition on Friday, was a classic case of them, “mistaking the word parliament as a synonym for circus.”

To this end, she questioned how one could stand in the Assembly and play politics at a time like this when Guyana’s territorial integrity is under threat.

POLITICAL POINTS

She added: “How dare they stand before this honourable House and try to get political gains and mileage through something as important as this?”

However, adding her voice to the motion, Kissoon noted that she stands with the minister and government, and lends her support to the motion, as she added that so much has been done in relation to the ongoing controversy.

With this, she further applauded what she noted was Guyana’s legal way of handling the matter.

Dr Kissoon highlighted that the Government of Guyana has taken steps through legal means to prevent violence and prevent the situation from escalating.

“I wanted to stand before you to say that as an opposition member, there is support, as an opposition member, there is understanding that this very important and pivotal issue is supported,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Leader of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Lenox Shuman, in a statement, called the walkout an act of staggering political irresponsibility, which was devoid of patriotism and clothed in petty grievance.

Shuman noted, “At a time when our nation’s sovereignty is under direct threat by a belligerent neighbour, the honourable Leader of the Opposition Mr Aubrey Norton chose to abandon his duty and walk out of the National Assembly, as the government tabled a critical motion to denounce Venezuela’s ongoing violations of international law.”