–as fallout over sharing of parliamentary seat deepens

AMANZA Walton-Desir of the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) is facing searing accusations of “bullying, dishonesty, opportunism, and betrayal,” and weaponising feminism to deflect accountability from her Vigilant Political Action Committee (VPAC) allies.

Less than a month after securing a seat in the National Assembly following the September 1 General and Regional Elections, the party has descended into acrimony over how the seat will be shared among the three members.

On Wednesday, Walton-Desir was adamant during a live broadcast that she would be the representative in parliament and revealed that she was threatened by someone in the VPAC camp.

Without naming the individual, Walton-Desir said: “A line has been crossed; I will not tolerate threats… To the young man who sent me a WhatsApp message [saying]: ‘I am giving you one last chance to reconcile with VPAC or else,’ I do not take threats and bullying.”

Although there was no direct talk about a squabble over the seat, Chairman of VPAC, Dorwain Bess in a video posted on his party’s Facebook page on September 21, seemed confident of his representative in parliament.

VPAC responded in a statement on Thursday and while denying all allegations, the party accused Walton-Desir of weaponising her gender despite being embraced as a female leader, stating that instead of confronting racism, she chose to play the “victim.”

“That is not leadership, it is cowardice dressed up as feminism,” VPAC wrote.

At the heart of the dispute is the agreement that the parliamentary seat secured would be rotated among the three equal partners.

However, the party said Walton-Desir “tore up that pact the moment it suited her” and “anointed herself sole powerbroker.”

“That is not leadership. That is theft,” the party said, as it opined that her live broadcast proved she is “unfit” to speak about inclusivity.

However, the rift further widened when a VPAC member pressed the leaders to denounce a “blatantly racist public statement,” and according to them, Walton-Desir and the leader of the People’s Movement Nigel London refused.

Walton-Desir, VPAC claims, refused to answer directly and instead conducted a live broadcast alleging that she was threatened.

“That was a lie. A deliberate, malicious lie. No threats were made. VPAC demanded only an answer. Do you condone racism, yes or no? Rather than face the truth, Walton-Desir weaponised her gender, crying victimhood and pretending that being held accountable was an ‘attack on a woman.’ That is disgraceful. It is not courage, it is manipulation,” VPAC said.

The party further stated that she enjoyed their full support as a female leader, and it never demanded the prime ministerial slot.

However, behind closed doors, according to VPAC, “she bullied partners, sidelined allies, and treated the coalition as her personal property.”

“Walton-Desir cannot rewrite the truth. She cannot sell betrayal as leadership. She cannot silence her partners by twisting their words into ‘threats.’ What she has shown is that her loyalty is not to principle, not to inclusion, and not to the people, but to herself alone,” VPAC wrote.

Meanwhile, the People’s Movement on Thursday added its voice to the brewing controversy and released a statement defending Walton-Desir.

“We reject any bullying tactics directed toward the leadership of the Forward Guyana Movement. Partnerships thrive through dialogue, respect, and mutual understanding. When parties refuse to attend discussions or to engage meaningfully in meetings, it does a disservice not only to the coalition but to the Guyanese people whom we are collectively called to serve,” Theodore Adams, the party’s chairman wrote.

Walton-Desir formed the Forward Guyana party and later joined forces with the People’s Movement and VPAC after leaving the Aubrey Norton-led People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) ahead of the elections. Together, the three parties make up the FGM.