Leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, Azruddin Mohamed, on Monday met with senior representatives of the Canadian High Commission, a meeting that observers say underscores the diplomatic community’s recognition of WIN’s growing political relevance and role in Guyana’s parliamentary affairs.
According to information posted on Team Mohamed’s social media page, Mohamed was joined by WIN Members of Parliament Tabitha Sarabo-Halley and Dawn Hastings-Williams for discussions with Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Sébastien Sigouin, and Political Counsellor Daniel Bood. The engagement focused on issues of democratic governance and the functioning of Parliament.
The meeting comes amid continued calls for the formal election of a Leader of the Opposition, a process that has remained stalled since the convening of the new Parliament following the 2025 General and Regional Elections. WIN currently holds 16 of the 29 opposition seats in the National Assembly, making it the largest opposition bloc and positioning Mohamed as the presumptive Leader of the Opposition.
Under Article 184(1) of the Constitution of Guyana, the Leader of the Opposition is to be elected by a majority of the non-government members of the National Assembly. However, the process has not moved forward, with the opposition contending that Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir—elected with the support of the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP)—has refused to facilitate the election in accordance with the constitutional provisions.
Based on the declaration by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) following the 2025 polls, the governing PPP holds 33 seats in the 65-member National Assembly. The opposition benches comprise 29 seats, with WIN holding 16, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) holding 12 seats, and the Forward Guyana Movement holding one.
In recent days, members of the Western diplomatic community have publicly and privately added their voices to calls for the election of a Leader of the Opposition and for Parliament to function fully in keeping with Guyana’s constitutional framework. Diplomatic sources have consistently emphasized the importance of strong parliamentary oversight, inclusive governance, and adherence to democratic norms.
Monday’s engagement with Canadian officials is the latest in a series of meetings between WIN representatives and members of the diplomatic corps, which analysts say reflects increasing international attention on the unresolved opposition leadership issue and broader concerns about parliamentary governance in Guyana.
Neither the Canadian High Commission nor the Government of Guyana has issued a formal public statement on the specific outcomes of the meeting. However, the discussions were described by Team Mohamed as constructive and centered on democratic processes and respect for constitutional provisions.
The impasse over the election of the Leader of the Opposition continues as Parliament moves ahead with its legislative agenda, with opposition parties maintaining that the failure to elect an opposition leader undermines the balance envisaged by the Constitution and weakens parliamentary democracy.
