GEORGETOWN – Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, says the delay in electing Guyana’s next Opposition Leader will be resolved as soon as Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir returns to the country. But he argues that the national debate is focused on the wrong problem.
On his weekly Issues in the News broadcast, Nandlall acknowledged the public concern surrounding the stalled vote — including a recent Stabroek News editorial warning about the impact on democratic governance. Still, he insisted the appointment is merely waiting on the Speaker to convene the necessary sitting of Parliament.
“It is publicly known that the Speaker is overseas,” Nandlall said. “Once he returns, the process will proceed within the rules, and the Leader of the Opposition will be elected. There is no doubt about that.”
Nandlall warns of “unprecedented threat” to Parliament’s reputation
What he believes is being ignored, however, is the profile of the man expected to assume the role: WIN party leader and businessman Azruddin Mohamed, who remains under U.S. indictment for alleged financial crimes and is currently facing extradition proceedings.
“That issue carries far greater consequences than a procedural delay,” Nandlall argued. He described the situation as a first-of-its-kind dilemma not only for Guyana but possibly anywhere in the English-speaking Caribbean and broader Commonwealth.
“We are talking about the Leader of the Opposition being a fugitive offender,” he said. “The stain and international stigma that will attach to our parliamentary process will cost us permanent damage.”
The Attorney General questioned why the press and civil society are not expressing the same level of concern about that development.
“Democracy must also protect its integrity”
While critics frame the delay as evidence of political dysfunction, Nandlall said “law-abiding citizens” should instead be focused on the impact of an indicted individual holding one of the highest constitutional offices in the state.
He maintained that Guyana’s legislative system is functioning as it should and that the vote will go forward once the Speaker is back on local soil. But he warned that the long-term credibility of Parliament must not be dismissed in the public conversation.
“This issue ought to feature with greater prominence in our public debates,” he stressed.
