Mohamed says Norton’s criticisms will not prevent consultations

Last Updated on Wednesday, 3 June 2026, 19:59 by Denis Chabrol

Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed says leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)-dominated A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Aubrey Norton’s recent criticisms about his reason for entering politics would not be a stumbling block to consultations such as the appointment of new election commissioners.

Mr Mohamed said he would shortly be writing Mr Norton and the leader of Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), Amanza Walton-Desir, requesting their nominees for election commissioners. “I’m in the process right now of having meaningful consultations and then I’ll submit same to Ms Claudette Singh (Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission),” he told Demerara Waves Online News.

Guyana’s constitution states that the President would appoint three members acting on the advice of the Opposition Leader after meaningful consultations with non-governmental political parties represented in the National Assembly.  Mr Mohamed also told Demerara Waves Online News that he would accede to her request and send the names to her and copy them to President Irfaan Ali.

If all goes according to planned, they would replace the three current pro-PNCR/APNU commissioners- Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman- to reflect the new opposition representation emerging from the September, 2025 general and regional elections.

With Messrs.  Alexander, Corbin and Trotman already refusing to resign unless there is a court decision or constitutional amendment, a position also stated by Norton,  the Opposition Leader said the matter would be heading to court. “Definitely, it sounds like a legal battle,” he said. While declining to say who would be his nominees, he assured that the three opposition parties would be represented on the seven-member commission,

Prior to last year’s general elections, APNU+Alliance For Change coalition had controlled 31 seats and was the main opposition party, but in the September 2025, APNU won 12 seats, Mohamed’s We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) 16 seats and FGM one.

Though the Commission has not met for the past eight months, the PPPC administration seems to be gearing up for Local Government Elections later this year. Demerara Waves Online News was reliably informed that the commission’s secretariat has been constantly refining its LGE work-plan to prepare for the resumption of commission meetings .

Meanwhile, Mr Mohamed debunked Mr Norton’s assertion that he entered politics because he wanted to avoid being extradited to the US to face trial for alleged wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering. “My entry into politics has absolutely nothing to do with extradition,” he said. He, like the Guyana government, said becoming Opposition Leader would not prevent him from being sent to the US. He added that his decision was based on repeated calls from ordinary Guyanese, who encouraged him to run for office.

The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) leader suggested that there appeared to be mixed signals from APNU with that organisation’s parliamentary leader, Dr Terrence Campbell calling for unity and Mr Norton’s position. “It got me thinking if indeed…because at the end of the day, we know that Norton is pulling the weight in the party,” he said.

He said the PNCR/APNU leader’s focus should be on the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic rather than WIN.  Despite Mr Norton’s scathing criticisms, the Opposition Leader said they would not affect consultations. “Definitely not because I have to consult with all non-governmental parties,” he said.

Asked whether he opted to seek elected office after a Reuters news agency article had floated the possibility of himself and father, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed could be sanctioned or extradited to the US, Mr Mohamed said “we were not catering for that and “no, definitely not”. At that time, he believed that the Mohameds’ business competitor and the Guyana government had pushed that narrative.

He said dating back from 2021 to 2023, people had been calling for him to run for elected office.

In a prepared statement,  Mr Mohamed emphasised that his entry into politics came before any extradition request and that request came after he became a political figure. He restated that three top government officials had warned him that “if I did not back down, they would apply pressure against me” and since then he had been subjected to personal attacks and attacks on his businesses.

The WIN Leader advised Mr  Norton to focus on the internal struggles in the PNCR and “ask himself why so many people have become disillusioned with the PNC.” He credited himself with offering better representation than Mr Norton. “With the support of the WIN Movement, what I was able to do in one year Norton was unable to accomplish as Opposition Leader during his term,” he said.