News Source Guyana Reports | Dr. Terrence Campbell, Parliamentary Leader for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), announced today that his party will not present a candidate for the position of Opposition Leader during the election set for Monday. He indicated that Azruddin Mohamed, leader of the WIN (Working People’s Alliance), is expected to emerge as the Opposition Leader, given that WIN holds 16 out of the 29 Opposition seats in the National Assembly.
“WIN has clearly stated that there will be one candidate for the Leader of the Opposition from WIN, which is Mr. Azruddin Mohamed. It is our expectation that Mr. Mohamed will be elected as the Leader of the Opposition,” Dr. Campbell told reporters at a press conference.
The election comes nearly three months after the 13th Parliament convened. While WIN has consistently supported Mohamed as its nominee, there are concerns regarding his eligibility for the position. Both the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Government of Guyana have expressed reservations regarding his appointment, noting that Mr. Mohamed is currently fighting extradition proceedings and has sanctions imposed by the United States.
The Speaker emphasized his responsibility to protect the integrity of the House, while the Attorney General cautioned that elevating Mr. Mohamed would leave a “stain” on Guyana’s Parliament.
“There will be no nominee for the position of the Leader of the Opposition from APNU. It would be futile for Forward Guyana to put up a candidate as we expect Mr. Mohamed to be declared the leader without the need for a vote,” Campbell stated.
In a related note, APNU MP Ganesh Mahipaul expressed an openness to collaborate with the WIN party to confront the government, despite previous collaborative efforts not yielding results. “The APNU has made several attempts to engage with WIN regarding a parliamentary agreement. However, the door to cooperation as an opposition has not been shut,” he affirmed.
Meanwhile, the WIN party continues to develop a parliamentary agenda of its own as it prepares for the upcoming leadership transition.
