Yesterday, Monday, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) held a protest in front of the Parliament Buildings to draw attention to what the party sees as a democratic crisis stemming from the prolonged delay in electing a Leader of the Opposition. During the protest, Public Relations Officer, Hana Mohamed, addressed attendees and the media, declaring “no more delays, no more silence” and directly urging Speaker Manzoor Nadir, “We demand you uphold your duty and [allow for the election] of the Leader of the Opposition, now.”
The demonstration highlighted the stagnation in parliamentary proceedings nearly three months after the September General and Regional Elections, and more than three weeks since the National Assembly first convened, leaving Guyana without a constitutionally elected Opposition Leader.
Even the Clerk of the National Assembly cannot confirm when the next sitting will be held, raising suspicions that the Executive may be interfering with the legislative calendar to delay the election. Mohamed insisted that the vote be held “now” and questioned what the Speaker is “waiting for,” emphasizing that “Guyanese need their Opposition Leader, now.”
WIN currently holds the plurality of opposition seats, 16 compared to A Partnership for National Unity’s 12 and the Forward Guyana Movement’s one, making WIN Leader Azruddin Mohamed the presumptive Opposition Leader. Political analysts note that this situation intersects with a broader political feud between the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the Mohamed family. Nazar “Shell” Mohamed and his son, businessman turned politician Azruddin Mohamed, were once close allies and major financial supporters of the PPP/C.
However, a public fallout this year has left the Mohameds at odds with the party’s leadership. Azruddin Mohamed is currently challenging extradition charges, adding a complex legal dimension to the political dispute. Some observers believe the PPP/C may be delaying the Opposition Leader election as part of its discomfort with Azruddin assuming a constitutionally powerful post.
During the protest, Mohamed also appealed directly to CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett, headquartered at Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara, to break her silence. She called on 2025 election observers and the diplomatic community to speak out and help resolve the stalemate.
WIN General Secretary Odessa Primus said the party has formally written to observers, foreign missions, and other stakeholders to highlight the issue. She added that WIN will continue to protest and engage in other activism to pressure the Speaker to convene the required meeting. The party had previously written to Speaker Nadir, giving him 14 days from receipt of the letter to facilitate the election, after which it would pursue judicial recourse.
Article 184(1) of the Constitution is unequivocal:
“The Leader of the Opposition shall be elected by and from among the non-governmental members of the National Assembly at a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Speaker of the National Assembly, who shall not have the right to vote.”
The Leadership of the Opposition is constitutionally significant. The Opposition Leader participates in key governance decisions, including appointments such as the Commissioner of Police, the Chancellor of the Judiciary, and the Chief Justice. Analysts warn that Guyana’s security landscape, particularly amid rising tensions in the Caribbean related to U.S.–Venezuela anti-narcotics operations, could be compromised without a formally elected Opposition Leader to ensure a unified national response.
The delay is not merely a procedural lapse but a direct challenge to democracy itself. The continuing obstruction, compounded by Azruddin Mohamed’s ongoing extradition battle and the fallout with the PPP/C, underscores a troubling willingness by the government to manipulate constitutional processes for political gain.
WIN insists that the people of Guyana cannot afford further inaction. The standoff has become a defining test of whether the nation’s governance will uphold the Constitution or succumb to political expediency. Meanwhile the party and its supporters have signalled their determination to fight relentlessly to ensure that the Opposition Leader is sworn in without further delay.
