US Ambassador urges Guyana to appoint opposition leader

United States Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, has called for the appointment of an opposition leader in Guyana, stressing that the move is necessary for the proper functioning of the country’s democracy following the September 1 general and regional elections.

- Advertisement -

The polls returned the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to office and reshaped the parliamentary opposition, with the newly formed We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), led by Azruddin Mohamed, emerging as the second-largest party in the National Assembly. WIN overtook A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), which had previously held that position.

Despite the outcome, the National Assembly has met only once since the elections, on November 3, 2025. To date, Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir has not convened the constitutionally required meeting of the 29 opposition parliamentarians to elect an opposition leader, a process widely expected to result in Mohamed’s selection.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday after an event at Banks DIH, Theriot said a functioning parliament depends on having a recognised leader of the opposition. “I think it’s incredibly important that you have a functioning parliament in any democracy and in order to have that, you do need a Leader of the Opposition. It just makes things work properly,” she said. She added, “I do think it’s very important for Guyana, as soon as possible, to elect a Leader of the Opposition”.

Over the weekend, President Irfaan Ali dismissed claims that the government has avoided calling parliamentary sittings to prevent Mohamed’s election, describing the suggestion as “absolutely ridiculous.”

“Absolutely ridiculous! The opposition can elect whoever they want as Opposition Leader so it’s absolutely ridiculous. That’s their business. We have no business in the opposition electing whoever they want as Leader of the Opposition,” Ali told reporters.

Mohamed’s political rise has unfolded alongside ongoing legal proceedings in the United States. He and his father, billionaire businessman Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, are contesting extradition requests from Washington. On October 30, 2025, US authorities sought the extradition of the 76-year-old father and his 38-year-old son on multiple charges, including wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, conspiracy, aiding and abetting, and customs-related violations tied to an alleged US$50 million gold export and tax evasion scheme. Their extradition committal hearing is scheduled to resume on February 5, 2026.

Theriot acknowledged that the legal matter complicates engagement but said it should not stall Guyana’s democratic processes. “Like I’ve said before, it complicates matters. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to deal with but what’s most important is that your democracy functions and I think in order for Parliament to do that and to represent the will of the people, who elected this person or who chose this person to have a significant number of seats or chose his party, that they need to move forward with the election,” she said.

She added that while Mohamed’s role would not affect the US legally, it could limit engagement in specific areas. “It doesn’t impact on us legally but if he is involved in certain aspects of government that we have to deal with; if it involves anything financial or contractual then that might be a slight problem for us and we would just have to ask that someone else work on that issue so for us we can work around it,” Theriot explained.

The ambassador also noted that the call for the appointment of an opposition leader is not coming from the United States alone, pointing out that the European Union, Canada, and the United Kingdom have made similar appeals.

“I don’t think we can be more clear than that when we say it publicly. It certainly gets to the right ears,” she said, when asked whether the diplomatic community has sought to persuade Guyanese authorities to fill the post.