WIN rides on western nations’ calls for Opposition Leader

The main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) on Sunday latched on to public calls by key Western Nations for its embattled leader Azruddin Mohamed to be elected Guyana’s Opposition Leader.

In a statement, WIN called on Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir to uphold his constitutional responsibility and act in the interest of the nation by summoning a meeting of the 29 opposition members of parliament to immediately elect the Opposition Leader.

Mr Nadir has not given any reason for not calling that constitutionally required meeting.

Mr Mohamed and his father, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed are wanted by the United States for alleged mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. An extradition committal hearing in progress in a magistrates court.

The British and Canadian high commissioners and the European Union and United States ambassadors have within the past 72 hours called for the election of the Opposition Leader as part of a functioning democracy.

Having won 109,075 votes at the September 1, 2025 general and regional elections, WIN said Mr Mohamed as the “duly elected choice” of the opposition “must be allowed to assume this role.” “The will of the electorate must be respected. This administration is avoiding legitimate oversight; the PPP wants to use state resources without any checks and balances,” the party said in a statement.

WIN said the PPP continues to stymie this process out of fear that Mr. Mohamed would bring scrutiny to the Assembly and that he cannot be bought.

WIN notes that the international community has called for the electing of the Leader of the Opposition as a necessary step to restore accountability and constitutional order in Guyana.

However, that party says more than four months after the September 1 elections, Guyana remains without a duly elected Opposition Leader. “Parliament has met only once since the elections; this is unprecedented and historic,” WIN said.

Meanwhile, President Irfaan Ali on Saturday deemed as “absolutely ridiculous” suggestions in some quarters that the government has not been calling sittings of the National Assembly to avoid the election of Mr Mohamed as Opposition Leader.

“Absolutely ridiculous! The opposition can elect whoever they want as Opposition Leader so it’s absolutely ridiculous. That’s their business. We have no business in the opposition electing whoever they want as Leader of the Opposition,” he told reporters after speaking at the opening of the AC Marriott Hotel, Ogle, East Coast Demerara.