Latest update January 22nd, 2026 12:35 AM
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‘Speaker under fire’ …WIN blasts Nadir over attacks on diplomats, Azruddin Mohamed
(Kaieteur News) – Statements made by Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir during a national address, including labeling We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) leader and Member of Parliament Azruddin Mohamed a “fugitive” have drawn sharp rebuke from the political party.
On Tuesday evening, Nadir broke his silence on the convening of a meeting to facilitate the election of a leader of the opposition. During the live stream, the speaker took aim at Mohamed, suggesting that his possible election as the opposition leader would tarnish Guyana’s parliament.
Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir.
Nadir said, “If the opposition MPs see it morally right to elect an international fugitive as the country’s opposition leader, then the stain on our parliament and our country rests solely with them. This likelihood has been unprecedented in our west minister parliamentary system.”
In response, WIN condemned the speaker’s remarks, describing them as improper and politically motivated.
The party said, “We condemn in the strongest possible terms the conduct and remarks of the Speaker of the National Assembly during his recent address to the nation on Tuesday, January 20th 2026, including his disparaging, abusive, defamatory, false, and malicious statements directed at the presumptive leader of the opposition, Mr. Azruddin Mohamed and his open contempt for the international diplomatic community.”
WIN said it was unacceptable that the speaker used a national address to personally attack and prejudge an elected MP and presumptive leader of the opposition. The party argued that Nadir’s remarks demonstrated bias incompatible with the neutrality of the office of the speaker.
WIN said, “The speaker is not a prosecutor, a political combatant, or a mouthpiece for the ruling party. His duty is to uphold the constitution, protect the integrity of Parliament, and act impartially. By choosing insults over restraint and propaganda over principle, he has demeaned the National Assembly and further eroded public confidence in its leadership.”
WIN’s 16 representatives that will sit in the National Assembly.
Mohamed and his father, Nazar, are currently challenging an extradition request by the United States Government in the local courts. The businessmen have been indicted in the U.S. on multiple charges, including allegations of orchestrating a fraud and money-laundering scheme involving gold exports, customs fraud, bribery, and the evasion of millions of dollars in taxes and royalties allegedly owed to Guyana.
The 13th Parliament of Guyana opened on November 3, 2025, with government and opposition parliamentarians sworn in. Since then, WIN which holds the largest number of seats among the opposition parties, ahead of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Forward Movement Guyana (FGM) had been calling on the Speaker to convene the meeting of non-government MPs to facilitate the election of an opposition leader. The delay had also attracted comments from diplomatic representatives of the United States, United Kingdom, France, Canada, and the European Union.
It was only on Tuesday night that Nadir disclosed the meeting would be held on Monday, January 26, the same day the 2026 Budget is scheduled to be presented. WIN contended that the nearly three-month delay was deliberate and amounted to an abuse of constitutional responsibility.
It said, “It was only after unequivocal and sustained pressure from international partners, civil society, and the Guyanese public that the speaker was pressured to finally act.”
The party also criticised comments made by the speaker toward United States Ambassador Nicole Theriot and Canadian High Commissioner Sébastien Sigouin, who were among diplomats commenting on the issue. WIN argued that democratic processes in Guyana should not require diplomatic pressure to function and said the situation reflected poorly on the Speaker’s conduct.
Further, the party said that Monday, January 26, 2026, would mark a historic moment. The party said, “WIN looks forward to turning the page, restoring constitutional order, and advancing a parliament that puts the interests of all Guyanese first.”
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