Guyana has entered the longest wait in its history for the election of a Leader of the Opposition, with 32 days gone since the swearing-in of Opposition Parliamentarians and no date set for the vote.
The Opposition Leader is required to be elected by opposition parliamentarians at a meeting convened by the Speaker of the National Assembly. But Speaker Manzoor Nadir has not yet called the session and, as last heard from President Irfaan Ali, went overseas.
The delay now exceeds the interval recorded in 2006, when Robert Corbin was the first to be elected to the post, after the death of Desmond Hoyte. The current wait has become the longest since the post began being filled by election.
Notably, in 2015, although Parliament had been convened more than a month earlier, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo was sworn in on the very same day opposition parliamentarians finally took their oaths, after they had refused to attend sittings up to that point.
The Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, confirmed to Guyana Standard on Friday at noon that no date has been scheduled for a meeting to elect the Leader of the Opposition. The absence of a meeting comes even as the leading contender for the post, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) leader Azruddin Mohamed, faces ongoing court proceedings tied to a United States extradition request. The U.S. seeks to have him sent to Florida to face corruption and fraud charges.
Mohamed’s party displaced A Partnership for National Unity as the main opposition after its strong showing in the September General and Regional elections. Despite being widely expected to win the vote for Opposition Leader, his possible election to the role has drawn concern from the government. Attorney General Anil Nandlall said Wednesday that installing Mohamed could harm the reputation of the National Assembly, if it elevates a “fugitive offender.”
The delay in convening the election has attracted pressure from opposition parties and growing attention from the public. The Speaker happens to be absent from the country at the same time of Mohamed’s extradition proceedings which, under a certain scenario, could prevent him from leading the opposition.
President Irfaan Ali, sworn in on September 7, is now approaching three months in office with no one constitutionally appointed to oppose him. Mohamed has continued to post political commentary on social media during the wait, including renewed calls for the government to deliver a Christmas cash grant which he notes Ali promised while on the campaign trail.
