Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, SC, has responded to criticism over the delay in electing a new Leader of the Opposition, asserting that the matter will resolve once Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, returns from overseas. However, Nandlall emphasized that the public discourse is overlooking a more critical issue: the character of the parliamentary member poised to assume the post.
U.S.-indicted businessman Azruddin Mohamed, leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, has been nominated to become Leader of the Opposition, sparking concern regarding his pending extradition to the United States.
During his weekly Issues in the News program, Nandlall addressed the growing commentary surrounding the delay, including an editorial in Stabroek News, which suggested that the slow progress is detrimental to the democratic process. He stated, “It is common ground that the responsibility to convene the meeting where that election is to be done is that of the Speaker,” noting that the Speaker’s absence was publicly acknowledged.
While recognizing concerns from various individuals and political parties, Nandlall expressed confidence that the Opposition Leader would be elected once the appropriate procedures could be followed.
A Serious Concern: Fugitive Offender in Parliament
Nandlall sharply criticized the unevenness of public debate, highlighting that concerns about the delay overshadow the more pressing issue of having a “fugitive offender” expected to lead the opposition. “I am not seeing the same type of concerns being expressed about Guyana having a Leader of the Opposition who is a fugitive offender and who is the subject of extradition proceedings … indicted on serious charges of international crimes such as money laundering and mail fraud,” he asserted.
He claimed that Guyana is in an unprecedented situation, stating it is the first time in the country—and perhaps the English-speaking Caribbean and the wider Commonwealth— that such a scenario has occurred. “The stain and the international stigma that will attach to our parliamentary process … will cost us permanent damage,” Nandlall warned.
Targeting Stabroek News, he accused the publication of displaying a bias towards matters involving the opposition party, expressing disappointment over a lack of coverage on the implications of having an indicted figure in parliament.
Nandlall stressed that “law-abiding citizens” should be concerned about the integrity of parliamentary institutions when an individual facing serious criminal allegations could potentially serve as Opposition Leader. He characterized the delay in the election as a temporary administrative issue that would be rectified soon and urged for greater public discourse on the implications of having an indicted member in such a significant political role.
“This issue ought to feature with greater prominence in our public debates and pronouncements,” Nandlall concluded.
