Supporters of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party staged their second protest this week outside the Parliament Building, demanding that Speaker Manzoor Nadir facilitate the constitutionally mandated election of the Leader of the Opposition. The first protest was held on Monday, but today’s demonstration saw an even larger and more determined turnout.
WIN Leader Azruddin Mohamed, widely expected to assume the role given his party’s 16 seats in the 65-member National Assembly, led the protest alongside fellow WIN parliamentarians, family, and supporters. The Opposition collectively holds 29 seats, with A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) controlling 12 and the Forward Guyana Movement holding one.
Article 184(1) of the Constitution is explicit: “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 National Assembly was convened on November 3 following the September 1 General and Regional Elections, but Speaker Nadir has yet to convene the required meeting. Commentators, including politicians, warn that this inaction has created a constitutional crisis, as the Leader of the Opposition plays a critical role in major constitutional matters, including consultation with the President on key appointments.
In a statement posted on social media, WIN said:
“The Leader of the We Invest in Nationhood party, Mr. Azruddin Mohamed, alongside WIN parliamentarians, family and supporters, showed up this morning in an even larger and more determined show of resistance outside the Parliament building to protest the Speaker of the House, Manzoor Nadir’s deliberate and undemocratic refusal to convene the sitting to elect a Leader of the Opposition. WIN stands in solidarity with every Guyanese who is rising up to defend democracy, which is being openly trampled by the PPP dictatorship that fears accountability and continues to reject the will of the people.”
The party also made a public appeal to Dr. Godwin Friday, newly-elected Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, seeking his intervention in the matter. WIN expressed hope that regional support would help pressure the Speaker to uphold constitutional norms and allow the Opposition to elect its leader without further delay.
The ongoing protests highlight rising tensions over democratic governance in Guyana, with opposition parties and civil society groups calling on the Speaker to respect his constitutional duty and restore the functioning of the National Assembly.
