‘Little League leadership’ – Foreign Minister blasts Opposition walkout on sovereignty motion
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd has strongly criticised Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton and his APNU+AFC Parliamentarians following their walkout during Thursday’s debate on Resolution No. 83 of 2025, titled “Support to the Government and People of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana in Defence of its Internationally Recognized Territory.”
The resolution reaffirmed Guyana’s recognition of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the 1966 Geneva Agreement as the legal foundations of its borders while condemning recent actions by Venezuela as violations of international law.
It also expressed full support for the May 1, 2025, binding order by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which instructed Venezuela to avoid actions that could worsen the ongoing territorial dispute.
Minister Todd expressed deep disappointment with the opposition’s conduct, revealing that the government had given them ample time to prepare a response to the motion.
This is against the backdrop of Norton’s criticism of the motion for lacking the opposition’s consultation and transparency.
“We submitted the motion more than a week in advance to the opposition for their response,” Todd said. “We did not hear back from them. Today (May 23), they presented a group of speakers, and yet the Leader of the Opposition gave a lukewarm presentation and then walked out. That is deeply disappointing.”
He went further, calling the walkout unprecedented in Guyanese parliamentary history.
“He has created history by becoming the first Leader of a major political party to not fully support a motion reaffirming Guyana’s sovereignty. That’s unprecedented.”
Todd underscored the importance of unity in moments of national significance, especially given the magnitude of the issue before the ICJ and the international community.
“We inherited the Geneva Agreement when we took office in 1992 and have done everything necessary to defend our territory. This is a time for unity, not theatrics.”
In a sharp rebuke, the Foreign Minister questioned Norton’s readiness for leadership at the national level.
“It begs the question of whether the Opposition Leader is ready for the big league. Right now, he’s operating in the little league. He needed to recognise the necessity of a bipartisan approach.”
