Members of Parliament from the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, along with supporters, staged a protest outside Parliament this morning, demanding that Speaker Manzoor Nadir schedule a meeting for the election of the Leader of the Opposition.
Three weeks after the 13th Parliament was convened and all Members of Parliament were sworn in, there has been no meeting among the Opposition to elect a Leader. The WIN party has reached out to the Speaker on the matter, with its legal counsel threatening legal action unless the meeting occurs within two weeks.
Given that the WIN party holds the most Opposition seats in the National Assembly, its leader, embattled businessman Azruddin Mohamed, is poised to be elected as the Leader of the Opposition, a position mandated by the Constitution.
Speaker Manzoor Nadir has remained silent on the scheduling of the meeting, prompting protests from the WIN party. Odessa Primus, a Member of Parliament and General Secretary of WIN, expressed her frustration:
“We have no information on when Parliament will reconvene, and what is going on. Historically, the election of the Leader of the Opposition proceeds without obstruction. We are functioning as a dictatorship because the government dictates all actions,” Primus stated.
She emphasized the democratic principles underpinning the election of the Leader of the Opposition, urging the Speaker to act. “The PPP has historically positioned itself as a guardian of democracy, yet now it is obstructing the democratic process. We call upon all of Guyana to stand up for democracy, regardless of party lines,” she added.
Attorney Siand Dhurjon, representing the WIN party, revealed that legal proceedings against the Speaker are being drafted. He stated, “The Speaker has an obligation to facilitate the election of the Leader of the Opposition. This should occur in a meeting convened specifically for non-government members of the National Assembly and should happen without delay.”
The WIN party intends to continue pressing the Speaker to call the necessary meeting for the election. In a show of solidarity, the Opposition’s second largest faction, the APNU, also reiterated that the Leader of the Opposition’s office is a constitutional position that needs to be filled, questioning the Speaker’s delay in convening the election.
Historically, previous Opposition Leaders were elected swiftly after new Parliaments were sworn in. In 2011, David Granger from APNU assumed the role just four days after the Parliament’s inaugural session. Similarly, Bharrat Jagdeo was elected on the same day that the PPP returned to the Assembly in 2015, even amid a boycott. In 2020, Joseph Harmon was named Opposition Leader during the first sitting of the new Parliament, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the WIN party continues its efforts, the call for a democratic process in electing the Leader of the Opposition grows louder.
