WIN presses for election of Guyana opposition leader amid international calls

Guyana’s main opposition party, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), on Sunday renewed calls for the immediate election of an Opposition Leader, citing mounting pressure from Western diplomats and what it described as continued constitutional inaction.

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In a statement, WIN urged Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir to fulfill his constitutional duty by convening a meeting of the 29 opposition members of parliament to elect a Leader of the Opposition. The party noted that Nadir has provided no explanation for failing to call the required meeting since the September 1, 2025 general and regional elections.

WIN’s appeal comes as the British and Canadian high commissioners, along with the ambassadors of the European Union and the United States, have publicly called within the past 72 hours for the election of an Opposition Leader as a cornerstone of a functioning democracy.

The party is backing its embattled leader, Azruddin Mohamed, as the opposition’s nominee. Mohamed and his father, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, are currently wanted by U.S. authorities on allegations of mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. An extradition committal hearing is ongoing in a magistrates’ court.

WIN said Mohamed, who led the party to 109,075 votes in the September elections, is the “duly elected choice” of the opposition and must be allowed to assume the role. “The will of the electorate must be respected,” the party said, accusing the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) of avoiding legitimate oversight and seeking to use state resources without checks and balances.

The opposition party further claimed that the PPP is deliberately obstructing the process out of fear that Mohamed would introduce greater scrutiny in the National Assembly. WIN argued that the international community’s calls underscore the urgency of appointing an Opposition Leader to restore accountability and constitutional order.

More than four months after the elections, Guyana remains without a formally elected Opposition Leader. WIN described the situation as unprecedented, noting that Parliament has met only once since the polls.

President Irfaan Ali, however, dismissed claims that the government is intentionally delaying sittings of the National Assembly to block Mohamed’s election. Speaking to reporters on Saturday after the opening of the AC Marriott Hotel in Ogle, East Coast Demerara, Ali called such suggestions “absolutely ridiculous.”

“The opposition can elect whoever they want as Opposition Leader,” the president said. “That’s their business. We have no business in the opposition electing whoever they want as Leader of the Opposition.”

The standoff continues as diplomatic pressure grows and opposition parties press for the convening of Parliament to fill the vacant post.