By Stabroek News
Copyright stabroeknews
Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), leader of the Amanza Walton-Desir, said she will not be intimidated after an individual sent her a threatening WhatsApp message and will press ahead with preparations for the upcoming 13th Parliament.
Speaking in a live Facebook broadcast, Walton-Desir said the message amounted to a line being crossed and that she could not remain silent. She opened her remarks with a firm message: “I will not be intimidated.”
She read the WhatsApp text to viewers and quoted it verbatim, saying the message told her… “I am giving you one last chance to reconcile with the V-PAC movement or else.” She told the sender directly that she would not accept threats. “I do not take threats lightly,” she said. “That is the last bit of grace that I will offer him.”
The FGM leader said her instinct is usually to resolve matters privately, but that the message made public action necessary. “I will always make every effort to reconcile private and internal business privately, but I will not tolerate threats,” she told her supporters.
Walton-Desir framed the issue as part of a larger pattern of abuse and intimidation faced by women in public life. “We have women who are being murdered, abused, disrespected,” she said. “The level of disrespect that we as women have to tolerate in the life of the last assembly is unacceptable. You are not going to bully me.”
Walton-Desir is no stranger to challenging political traditions. A former Member of Parliament with the opposition coalition APNU-AFC, she broke away to form her own party, the Forward Guyana Movement. During that period Forward Guyana Movement had formed a coalition with Dorwin Bess leader of V-PAC and Nigel London’s The People’s Movement, their coalition at the most recent general and regional elections made history allowing Walton-Desir in becoming the first woman in Guyana to found a political party and successfully secure a seat in the National Assembly.
While stressing her refusal to be intimidated, she said she remains focused on the work ahead. She reminded viewers that the next parliamentary term will be critical and urged unity and strong oversight. “This next Parliament is going to be exceedingly important,” she said. “We have five years before us that are going to be very, very important. We need all of our strength and focus.”
Walton-Desir said she plans to continue public engagement and will make time for further broadcasts to address concerns. She also said she prefers to resolve matters internally when possible but will take a firm stand where threats are involved.
