Commission of Inquiry – MV Barima

What this source establishes

A Kaieteur News editorial setting out the paper's test for the promised Commission of Inquiry. It argues Guyanese precedent is of COIs that were whitewashes, and that President Ali's credibility is spent because he promised to review all oil contracts including ExxonMobil's 2016 agreement and then invoked 'sanctity of contract'. It then specifies requirements: no members with any government connection however distant, broad and penetrating terms of reference, a chair of the highest integrity, public livestreamed hearings, an unredacted preliminary report within 90 days and a final report 30 days later. The editorial raises the possibility that more than one COI is needed.

The author’s argument, as stated

President Ali's promise of a 'full, thorough and independent' COI cannot be trusted on his record — notably his abandoned pledge to review the 2016 ExxonMobil oil contract — so the inquiry must be judged against concrete tests: no members with any government connection, penetrating terms of reference, a fearless chair, public livestreamed hearings, and an unredacted preliminary report within 90 days.

Key claims

• Argues Guyanese precedent is of 'COIs that have been whitewashes, COIs not worth the name, COIs that have been a waste of time'.
• Says President Ali promised a 'full, thorough, and independent' investigation into the MV Barima tragedy.
• Charges that Ali promised to review all contracts including the ExxonMobil-Guyana oil contract of 2016, then 'dodged from delivering', taking shelter under 'sanctity of contract'.
• Asserts the president has 'minimal credibility with many citizens' outside his party's fanatics and those dependent on his charity.
• States over 100 Guyanese are dead.
• Demands a COI 'totally untainted by local politics' with no members beholden or connected to the government, however distant, citing national elections as the precedent standard that rules out even well-regarded and overseas-based Guyanese.
• Notes the two top judicial positions in Guyana 'have been held hostage for years'.
• Suggests getting to the bottom of the disaster 'may call for more than one COI'.
• Specifies the COI should be open to the public and livestreamed, with an unredacted preliminary report including all findings in the public domain within 90 days and the final report 30 days after.

Quotations

• “COIs that have been whitewashes, COIs not worth the name, COIs that have been a waste of time. Another false dawn, more fake news.”— Kaieteur News, editorial
• “the president is seen as a figure of weakness and slipperiness, one not to be taken with too much seriousness”— Kaieteur News, editorial
• “It cannot have members who are beholden to the government, or have some connection to it, however distant or innocent looking.”— Kaieteur News, editorial

Actors named

• Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana, who promised the COI
• Kaieteur News, editorial voice
• ExxonMobil-Guyana, party to the 2016 oil contract the editorial says Ali promised to review

This page is a research summary prepared for comment and review. It is not the article. Copyright in the original remains with Kaieteur News; the full text is held only in the private research corpus from which this archive was compiled. Follow the link above to read it at the source.