The Alliance for Change (AFC) is calling on the legislature to move toward the establishment of an independent civilian body to investigate police misconduct and recommend criminal or disciplinary action.
The call comes in wake of the recent police killings of 21-year-old Ronaldo Peters and Keon Fogenay, 32, in Linden earlier this month.
The AFC said it is calling on all parties in the National Assembly “to rise above politics and act urgently to establish an Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA)”.
It noted that this is “not merely a matter of policy—it is a matter of human life, justice, and trust in our democracy”.
The AFC said that these young men—sons of Linden—are the latest in a painful history of Guyanese lives lost at the hands of those sworn to protect and serve. Their deaths echo the tragedy of 2012, when three Lindeners were shot dead by police during protests.
The AFC pointed to the Commission of Inquiry into those killings and the recommendation that:
“The police must be held accountable… abuses should be independently investigated in a professional way… such an authority must have the necessary powers and resources to be effective lest citizens demonstrate no confidence in it.”
The party noted that more than a decade later, that recommendation remains unimplemented and the “the cost of inaction is measured in lives lost and trust shattered”.
“The AFC today proposes a resolution to be laid in the National Assembly on April 25, 2025, calling for the immediate establishment of the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA)—a civilian-led body with full powers to investigate police misconduct and recommend criminal or disciplinary action.
This is not an attack on the police. It is a commitment to justice and accountability—for victims, for families, and for the many honourable officers who serve with integrity and deserve public trust,” the party said in a missive earlier today.
It added that its Leader and Presidential Candidate, Nigel Hughes has long championed institutional reform and the protection of constitutional rights. The IPOA proposal builds on his decades of work in the legal and justice sectors. As Hughes has stated:
“If there is no trust in justice, there is no justice at all. And if there is no accountability in power, power becomes abuse.”
The AFC’s framework for the IPOA is as follows:
– A 12-member independent authority, appointed by Parliament, with no current or former law enforcement officers.
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Full investigative powers, including subpoena authority and access to all relevant police evidence and body-camera footage.
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Mandated transparency, with regular public reporting and community engagement.
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Direct funding via the National Assembly to ensure independence from political or police control.
