HGP Nightly News – APNU Parliamentary Leader Dr. Terrence Campbell is raising the alarm over what he says could be a troubling attempt to control public access to one of Parliament’s most consequential moments: the election of Guyana’s next Leader of the Opposition.
Speaking at an APNU press conference, Campbell argued that after months of delay, the process should now be fast, clear, and drama-free once the Speaker convenes the meeting of non-government Members of Parliament. In his view, the numbers on the opposition benches make the outcome virtually settled, since We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) holds the majority of opposition seats and is expected to put forward Azruddin Mohamed as its nominee.
“We expect that there will be one nominee for the position of Leader of the Opposition… that nominee will then we expect to be declared the Leader of the Opposition,” Campbell said. He added that APNU will not contest the post, stating, “The APNU has no intention of challenging for that position… We will not oppose Mr. Azruddin Mohamed to be Leader of the Opposition. There will be no need for a vote.”
But Campbell’s sharpest criticism was aimed at reports that media access to the proceedings could be limited, with coverage possibly restricted to the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN). He condemned any such move as unfair and politically loaded, warning that it would immediately cast a shadow over a constitutional process the public has been waiting on. “If NCN should be present, all media houses should be present,” he said, adding, “I want to… condemn that very partisan decision.”
Campbell stressed that electing a Leader of the Opposition is a constitutional requirement, not a private meeting to be managed behind closed doors. He argued that restricting coverage, after an extended wait for the process to even be called, would only deepen public suspicion and further weaken confidence in parliamentary democracy. He said APNU’s position is that the meeting must be open, transparent, and free of any manoeuvring so Parliament can return to full function and carry out its oversight responsibilities.
