WIN pushes for Opposition Leader vote

Nov 12, 2025 News

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(Kaieteur News) – The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) political party, led by businessman and Member of Parliament (MP) Azruddin Mohamed, is calling on the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, to convene the election of the Leader of the Opposition.

The call comes just over a week after the 13^th Parliament was convened following the September 1 General and Regional Elections. At the elections the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) secured the majority of votes nationwide, winning 36 seats, WIN 16; A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) 12 and Forward Guyana Movement 1.

Last Monday the MPs were sworn-in, however, the sitting ended without any announcement regarding when the Speaker would convene a meeting for the election of the Opposition Leader. Azruddin Mohamed, who was among 16 WIN MPs sworn in, is widely regarded as the presumptive Opposition Leader.

Mohamed’s swearing-in came just days after he and his father, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, were brought before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to begin extradition proceedings requested by the United States Government. Both men face an 11-count indictment in a U.S. federal court in Miami related to alleged financial crimes. They were each granted $150,000 bail.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the WIN party called on the Speaker to “fulfil the constitutional duty of his office by convening and chairing the meeting required for the election of the Leader of the Opposition, as set out in Article 184(1) of the Constitution of Guyana.”

The party explained that after the November 3 opening of Parliament and the swearing-in of all MPs, it had submitted a formal letter to the Speaker, signed by all WIN parliamentarians, designating its nominee for Opposition Leader. However, the party said it received no acknowledgment or response from the National Assembly. “As of today, November 10, WIN has not received even a formal acknowledgment of receipt from the Office of the Speaker,” the statement read. The party followed up with an email, but said that too went unanswered.

WIN expressed concern that the Speaker’s silence calls into question the impartiality of the parliamentary process. “This unexplained silence stands in contrast to the Speaker’s public oath to execute the functions of his office ‘without fear or favour, affection or ill will,’ and raises legitimate concerns regarding the impartial administration of parliamentary processes,” the party said.

To seek clarity, WIN reached out to former Minister and APNU MP Annette Ferguson, who explained that the election of the Opposition Leader is not dependent on the Order Paper or a sitting of the Assembly. “It is a separate constitutional process: the non-government Members of Parliament must be convened by the Speaker, and a Leader elected by show of hands. The procedure is simple, direct, and constitutionally mandated. There is no lawful basis for withholding it,” the statement wrote. WIN noted that while the President was swiftly sworn in following the elections, the same urgency has not been applied to the election of the Opposition Leader.

As such, the WIN party further accused the administration of deliberately stalling the process. “The Leader of the Opposition is not symbolic; the Constitution requires that the holder of this office be consulted on major appointments, including the Police Commissioner, Chancellor, Chief Justice, and members of the Judicial Service Commission. Delaying this office undermines the balance of power and signals a disregard for constitutional governance,” the statement added.

WIN urged that the laws and institutions of the country be applied evenly, transparently, and without political bias.

On November 8, after the opening of parliament, Kaieteur News reported that Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs commented on the issue, noting that while the Constitution outlines the process for electing the Opposition Leader, it does not specify when the meeting must be held. “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.

He confirmed that the Speaker had received Mohamed’s letter and acknowledged it was under consideration. “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 said.

However, as of now, the election of the Opposition Leader remains pending, with no formal response from the Speaker’s office. Members of APNU have also questioned the prolonged delay. APNU leader Aubrey Norton stressed that the Constitution mandates the existence of an Opposition Leader. “The Constitution provides for an Opposition Leader and therefore, logically, there must be one. The question of when he will be elected should be directed to the Speaker and the government,” Norton said.

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• Azruddin Mohamed, Leader, Manzoor Nadir, opposition, Vote, win

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