Vacant opposition leader seat aids govt’s “undemocratic practices” – APNU

Nov 22, 2025 News

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Kaieteur News – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) on Friday said that the non-election of the Leader of the Opposition will result in the aiding and abetting of the government’s “undemocratic practices.”

APNU’s Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul maintained that the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) is in its right to demand that the election of the post of opposition leader be done with alacrity. Mahipaul made it clear that the post cannot be left vacant.

“If we allow that to happen then it means we are aiding and abetting with the PPP to advance in undemocratic practices and the APNU is not about that. It’s a constitutional office and it has to be filled. The action is within the hands of the Speaker and he has to know why he is behaving like this and why he’s acting like that,” Mahipaul stressed.

On Wednesday, Kaieteur News reported that the WIN party, led by businessman Azruddin Mohamed, has threatened to sue Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir for failing to convene a meeting of the opposition members of parliament for the election of the Leader of the Opposition.

In a letter dated November 17, 2025, WIN’s attorney Siand Dhurjon said that the 16 non-governmental members of parliament which include Azruddin Mohamed, Natasha Singh-Lewis, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, Dawn Hastings-Williams, Odessa Primus, Duarte Hetsberger, Tonshana Famey-Corlette, Vishnu Panday, Beverley Cornelius, Gobin Harbhajan, Deon La Cruz, Nandranie Singh, Dr. Gordon Barker, Janelle Sweatnam, Dr. Ryan Richards and Dr. Andre Lewis, called on the Speaker to convene the meeting within 14 days. Failure to do so, will result in the institution of proceedings in the Supreme Court.

“On behalf of my clients, I do hereby require that you take all steps necessary to convene a meeting among the non-governmental members of the National Assembly for the purpose of electing the Leader of the Opposition under Article 184(1) of the Constitution within fourteen (14) days failing which I shall institute proceedings in the Supreme Court to compel you to act accordingly and to seek all other reliefs necessary to vindicate my clients’ interests,” Dhurjon said in the letter which was received and stamped by the Speaker’s secretariat.

The attorney detailed that at the first sitting of the 13^th Session of the National Assembly on November 3, 2025, the Speaker was handed a letter by several of his clients after they were sworn-in as Members of Parliament to convene a meeting on the same day to elect the Leader of the Opposition.

“I am instructed that you then responded verbally to Ms. Natasha Singh-Lewis, MP that you would not be convening such a meeting on that day and you ambiguously stated, ‘it doesn’t have to be until the next sitting’,” Dhurjon relayed.

The attorney noted that there was no impediment preventing him from convening the meeting on November 3, since all of the non-governmental Members of Parliament were present at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

Further, the lawyer said that an email was subsequently sent by Ms. Singh-Lewis, MP seeking an update on when the meeting would be convened, to which there was no response.

Dhurjon reminded the Speaker in his letter that the Leader of the Opposition is a most important constitutional officeholder in whom is reposed numerous significant responsibilities under law.

“It is inconceivable that the Constitution could have ever contemplated that your unqualified and mandatory obligation under Article 184(1) of the Constitution could be unduly delayed to some uncertain time in the unknown future,” the attorney posited.

He called on the Speaker to act with alacrity to have the Leader of the opposition elected noting that his clients are prepared and willing to meet at the earliest opportunity to facilitate the election.

Meanwhile, Mahipaul told reporters on Friday that the WIN, which won 16 seats in parliament, would be “within their rights” to approach the courts for redress on the matter.

The member of parliament reminded that the Leader of the Opposition post is a constitutional one that “cannot be left vacant.”

Mahipaul said that in 2011 David Granger was elected leader of the opposition four days after the first sitting of the National Assembly where he took the oath as a member of parliament.

In 2015, Bharrat Jagdeo’s election occurred 67 days after the National Assembly’s first sitting. In this case, Mahipaul reminded that Jagdeo was not elected earlier because his party had refused to attend Parliament, thereby missing several sittings.

“You cannot be elected leader of the opposition unless you take the oath of office as a member of parliament and that is what caused it to be delayed and [that] made it look as though it was 67 days after,” he added.

 

 

 

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• APNU, Opposition Leader, PPP, Vacant

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