Ali smacks of linking no parliamentary sitting with Opposition Leader as “absolutely ridiculous”: N

Last Updated on Sunday, 11 January 2026, 12:32 by Writer

President Irfaan Ali on Saturday deemed as “absolutely ridiculous” suggestions in some quarters that his government has not been calling sittings of the National Assembly to avoid the election of We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) leader Azruddin Mohamed as Guyana’s main 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.

Following the September 1, 2025 general and regional elections, the National Assembly was called only once – November 3, 2025.

However, Dr Ali’s position contrasts with Attorney General Anil Nandlall’s recent comment that were Mr Mohamed, who is fighting extradition to the United States (US) to face trial for alleged mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering, would be a stain on Guyana.

WIN won 16 seats in the National Assembly with 109,075 votes, but so far House Speaker Manzoor Nadir has not exercised his constitutional function to summon a meeting of the 29 opposition parliamentarians to elect WIN’s leader as the Opposition Leader.

President Ali did not say when the next sitting of the National Assembly would be called, saying that his government was focussing on preparing the 2026 National Budget and laying out its parliamentary agenda.

He dismissed suggestions that his administration was delaying the calling of sittings of the National Assembly because of Mr Mohamed’s legal troubles.

“Mr Mohamed does not influence anything the government does in relation to parliament or our development agenda. Our development agenda has already been crafted in our manifesto on which the overwhelming majority of the Guyanese people elected us so we’re focussed on delivering what the Guyanese people elected us to do,” he said.

The WIN leader has repeatedly accused the government of frustrating his election to the position of Opposition Leader because they are “afraid” of him exposing them.

A Partnership for National Unity and Forward Guyana Movement have also called for the election of an Opposition Leader.

The British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller and the European Union Ambassador to Guyana, Luca Pierantoni were quoted by the privately-owned Stabroek News newspaper as calling for the election of an Opposition Leader.