MPs feud over impact of budget

-as 2026 debate takes off

Debate on the 2026 budget kicked off with WIN MP Dr. André Lewis charging that the link between massive spending and quality of remains unseen while Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill said that it formed a “social contract of inclusion”.

Yesterday’s presentations on the $1.558t budget saw a firestorm of heckling, personal attacks, and bizarre animal noises as Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) debated the Government Ministers. For the first time in the history of the country, a party that was not the PNC or the PPP opened the debate for the opposition. Despite the shouting, Lewis, in his maiden presentation, delivered a critique of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the broader budget. Lewis argued that while the government touts record-breaking figures, the link between spending and quality of life remains “unseen.”  He declared that “It measures success in ounces, barrels, and billions, but not in livelihoods protected, communities supported, or dignity preserved,”

The session was marked by such intense disruption that Speaker of the House Manzoor Nadir was forced to intervene, reminding Government benches of the longstanding convention to allow a member’s “maiden presentation” to proceed in silence. The Speaker, who created controversy over new rules for the media (see other story on page 6),  further cautioned members against naming private citizens and entities who “can’t represent themselves” within the House. The decorum of the National Assembly shattered early when MP Kwame McCoy launched a barrage of heckles at the Opposition. The verbal sparring took a bizarre turn when McCoy and Minister Deodat Indar mocked Lewis, with McCoy shouting, “This is AI,” and Indar laughing loudly as McCoy made “quack quack quack” noises. McCoy also repeatedly shouted “fugitive” and “sanctioned,” a clear reference to the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) leader Azruddin Mohamed.