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‘How can you leave the country without an Opposition Leader?’ — WIN executive member questions
…as protests demanding election of Opposition Leader continue
(Kaieteur News) – Supporters of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party continued their protest on Friday, demanding the prompt election of a Leader of the Opposition.
Protesters and members of the party rejected explanations for Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir’s absence from the country, insisting that the election should have taken place before his departure.
On Thursday, President Irfaan Ali confirmed that Nadir is currently overseas, and as a result, the meeting to elect a Leader of the Opposition cannot be held until his return. His remarks followed WIN’s threat of legal action over what the party calls the Speaker’s failure to fulfill his constitutional duty to convene the meeting with opposition members of parliament.
WIN leader Azruddin Mohamed with supporters protesting.
Speaking to reporters at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC), President Ali said, “From what I’ve seen in the news, the Speaker is traveling now, so you don’t expect the Speaker to convene a meeting while he’s traveling or on his overseas trip. I’m sure that the Speaker and the National Assembly will convene a meeting at the appropriate time and have that process completed.”
Despite this assurance, WIN supporters continued their demonstration outside the Parliament building on Friday, arguing that the election should have taken place before the Speaker left the country.
WIN Leader Azruddin Mohamed stressed that the Deputy Speaker is available and capable of overseeing the process.
“Do the honourable thing. We have a Deputy Speaker. Right now, the whole country is in limbo,” he said.
Standing among the protesters, WIN executive member Hana Khamelia rejected the explanation that the Speaker’s travel justifies the delay.
“The President shared with reporters that the Speaker of the House is currently out of the country while the nation is still waiting for the election of the Leader of the Opposition. How can you, knowing the unease of the people, leave the country without ensuring the election is done? It has been 25 days since Parliament convened, and 25 days without a Leader of the Opposition. We are calling on Speaker Manzoor Nadir to uphold his constitutional duty and convene the meeting,” Khamelia said.
WIN supporters outside Parliament demanding for the election for the leader of opposition.
Earlier this month, Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs explained that although 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—whether at the first sitting, the second, or the third. It’s at the discretion of the Speaker,” Isaacs told reporters.
In a statement on Thursday, WIN expressed concern that the Speaker’s silence raises questions about 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.
WIN further argued that the swearing-in of the President immediately after the elections demonstrates that urgency is possible when prioritized and accused the administration of deliberately stalling the process.
“The Leader of the Opposition is not symbolic. The Constitution requires consultation with the officeholder for 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 party stated.
Protests are expected to continue on December 8 and 10, following the Mohamed’s extradition case.
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