AS Guyana nears the September 1 election, the opposition scene has turned into a confusing game that would be laughable if it weren’t for the people who still believe in them.

The failure of coalition talks between the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) highlights a troubling fact: neither side wants to take responsibility for not uniting.

What we see is not just political disagreement but a serious betrayal of public trust. For months, APNU and AFC negotiated, but their talks fell apart over what can only be called self-interested disputes: arguments over ministerial roles, parliamentary positions, and who would be prime minister.

Both parties accused each other of causing the collapse while secretly trying to recruit each other’s members. The hypocrisy is overwhelming.  The AFC expelled three parliamentarians, Juretha Fernandes, Sherod Duncan, and Deonarine Ramsaroop, after learning they had covertly allied with APNU. APNU leader Aubrey Norton dismissed this action as “petty,” even though his party had previously condemned such defections.

This double standard shows a political culture that prioritises opportunism over principles.  A striking example is Amanza Walton-Desir, who left the PNCR to start her own party, Forward Guyana. She cited being “repeatedly excluded from key meetings” and having her “voice silenced.”

The voters must see this turmoil for what it really is, a warning sign. When political parties focus on power-sharing instead of real policies and recruit secretly while publicly negotiating in “good faith,” they show a blatant disregard for democratic values.

As PPP/C General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo noted, these opposition parties “see government as an opportunity to share spoils” instead of seeing it as a duty to serve the public. Voters should expect more as September 1 approaches. The opposition’s internal turmoil highlights a bigger problem of leadership and vision. Instead of providing clear police frameworks, they present familiar faces with new titles, but the same outdated ideas.

This is not the opposition Guyana needs at this crucial time in our history. The voters must look past party loyalty and assess candidates based on their integrity, vision, and commitment to democratic values.  The current chaos within the opposition is not just a tactical failure, but a moral one—a failure to prioritise the country over personal ambitions and party interests. As we get ready to vote, let’s remember that democracy thrives only when its participants respect its core values.