The failure to elect a Leader of the Opposition in Guyana’s 13th Parliament is not a procedural oversight. It is a deliberate act of political obstruction that strikes at the heart of constitutional governance. By refusing to facilitate the election of a Leader of the Opposition, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), aided by Speaker Manzoor Nadir and backed by President Irfaan Ali’s Executive, has chosen partisanship over principle and power over the law. This manoeuvre has effectively held the legislature hostage, paralysing a critical democratic institution and denying the electorate the representation to which it is constitutionally entitled.
The facts are straightforward. The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party holds the majority of opposition seats in the National Assembly with 16, compared with the A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) 12 and the Forward Guyana Movement’s (FGM) one. By any democratic and constitutional standard, WIN’s leader Azruddin Mohamed is the presumptive Leader of the Opposition. Yet the PPP has allowed its personal and political war with Mohamed, an embattled businessman turned politician, to override the clear intent of the Constitution. This is not an abuse of power marked by disregard for the law and the basic tenets of good governance.
That the 13th Parliament has sat only once deepens the national embarrassment. A Parliament that cannot function, cannot scrutinise the executive, and cannot properly represent the people is a Parliament in name only. Article 184(1) of the Constitution of Guyana is unambiguous and requires engagement with non-government Members of Parliament to give effect to the will of the electorate. The continued refusal to do so is unlawful and corrosive to public trust.
Azruddin Mohamed’s ongoing legal battles should have no bearing on his eligibility to serve as a Member of Parliament or to be elected Leader of the Opposition. The Constitution is clear and common law principles are settled. A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The PPP should be reminded of its own recent history. President Irfaan Ali, Attorney General Anil Nandlall and Dr. Jennifer Westford all served as opposition Members of Parliament while they had ongoing legal battles before the courts. The A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) David Granger led government and APNU+AFC elected Speaker, Dr Barton Scotland, did not prevent them from serving while their cases moved through the legal process. That approach was consistent with the Constitution and long standing common law principles that Guyanese ought to uphold, not trample for political convenience.
There is cautious hope that the international community, now weighing in on Guyana’s political dysfunction and whose views the Ali administration often appears more willing to accommodate than the Constitution itself, will help to prompt corrective action. The government must, without further delay, convene a meeting with non government Members of Parliament and proceed with the election of a Leader of the Opposition in accordance with the law.
Guyana’s branches of government must no longer be held hostage by PPP political manipulation. The people have spoken based on GECOM’s declaration. They deserve representation, constitutional compliance and a Parliament that functions in their interest.
