No date set for election of Leader of Opposition

Nov 04, 2025 News

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(Kaieteur News) – The 13th Parliament of Guyana opened on Monday with the swearing-in of 36 Members of Parliament (MPs) from the government and 29 from the combined opposition. However, the sitting ended without any announcement on when the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir will convene a meeting for the election of the Opposition Leader.

The presumptive Opposition Leader is sanctioned Guyanese businessman, Azruddin Mohamed, who heads the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party. Mohamed was among 16 persons sworn in as MPs for his WIN party of the 13th Parliament. His swearing-in came just days after he and his father, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, were arrested and brought before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for the start of extradition proceedings requested by the United States Government. The father-son duo is facing an 11-count indictment in a U.S. federal court in Miami related to financial crimes. They were each granted bail in the sum of $150,000.

During Monday’s sitting held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) in Liliendaal, Nadir was unanimously re-elected as Speaker of the National Assembly, while Government MP Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo was elected Deputy Speaker after securing 36 votes from the PPP/C benches.

The first sitting of the 13^th parliament concluded with no word on when the Speaker will call the meeting for the Opposition Leader election. Following the 2025 General and Regional Elections, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) secured 36 seats in the National Assembly, followed by WIN with 16, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) with 12, and Forward Movement Guyana (FMG) with one. With WIN holding the largest number of opposition seats, it is presumed that its leader, Mohamed, will become Opposition Leader. However, the election is yet to be called.

Speaking to reporters after he was sworn in as a Member of Parliament, Mohamed said, “Of course, I am the presumptive opposition leader…” When asked if he was informed when the election will be held, he explained, “We just asked the speaker and he walked away so we are hoping to get it as soon as possible but you know it is up to the speaker…no he didn’t respond.”

Notably, the party had written to the Speaker of the National Assembly, formally requesting that he convenes a meeting of opposition parliamentarians to elect the Opposition Leader. The party had asked for the election to be held on Monday, but it was not done.

Speaking with reporters at ACCC, Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, explained, “the Standing Orders is silent on the election of the leader of the opposition, but the constitution speaks to the election of the leader of the opposition, it doesn’t say when the meeting to be held…”

He noted that the election is conducted at a meeting chaired by the Speaker and decided by a show of hands. “The constitution doesn’t say when the meeting is to be held, if it’s at the first sitting or the second sitting or third sitting it’s at the discretion of the speaker,” Isaacs said.

“What happened in this case, Mr. Mohamed wrote the speaker, the speaker sent the letter to me to acknowledge to say we are in receipt of the letter and to inform Mr. Mohamed that his request is receiving attention or being considered, the speaker used the word considered. So, I think it is receiving the attention of the speaker,” Isaacs added.

In relation to Mohamed’s U.S. indictment on charges of fraud, money laundering, customs fraud, bribery, and tax evasion, Isaacs clarified that as of now, it is only an indictment and not a conviction. “The constitution says, if he is convicted or reported to be guilty of an offence, so he hasn’t been convicted…” he said. However, he admitted he was uncertain about the interpretation of “reported to be guilty of an offence.”

Further, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, speaking with reporters at the ACCC, said the government has not deliberately delayed the process for the swearing in of the opposition leader and reminded that this is something that needs to be done by the Speaker. “They have to go through a process, through a selection or voting process, to determine who will be the next opposition leader,” Jagdeo explained. He added, “WIN misleadingly told their people that today the opposition leader would be sworn in, and somehow that it is a conspiracy of the People’s Progressive Party not to have that done. That’s all garbage. They peddle that a lot, misinformation.”

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• Azruddin Mohamed, Election, Leader of Opposition, Manzoor Nadir, WIN Party

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