Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, has reaffirmed his stance that fugitive offender Azruddin Mohamed is not suitable for the position of Opposition Leader due to ongoing extradition proceedings related to several indictable charges in the United States.
Nadir’s position comes after his recent meeting with diplomats at the Public Buildings on Thursday, where the discussions revolved around parliamentary processes rather than individual personalities. “We discussed how Parliament operates and how office holders are elected, but never discussed personalities,” he stated in a video shared by the National Communications Network.
During the meeting, Nadir emphasized the importance of focusing on parliamentary functions rather than individuals, though he acknowledged that the election of the Opposition Leader was discussed. He expressed concern that some media representatives “ambushed” the diplomats after the meeting, suggesting that the friendly nature of the engagement may have been misinterpreted.
Furthermore, Nadir mentioned his recent interactions with representatives from the private sector and defended his leadership of Parliament in a nationally televised address. In that address, he condemned what he described as “violent, vicious and unprecedented” attacks against him by Azruddin Mohamed, the leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party. He also raised concerns regarding certain news reports and statements from members of the diplomatic community that he felt misrepresented the situation.
Nadir maintains that the focus should remain on the parliamentary process and governance rather than personal disagreements, reinforcing the importance of integrity within the political sphere.
