GEORGETOWN — Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has hit back hard at the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party’s claims that the government deliberately stalled the swearing-in of its leader, Azruddin Mohamed, as Leader of the Opposition — calling the allegations “complete garbage.”
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 13th Parliament’s opening at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), Dr. Jagdeo dismissed suggestions of political interference, explaining that there is a long-standing parliamentary process that must first take place before an Opposition Leader can be elected.
“There is no Opposition Leader elected yet,” Dr. Jagdeo said bluntly. “All Members of Parliament must first take their oaths, after which the Speaker convenes a separate session for the opposition to choose its leader. That’s the tradition, and it’s always been that way.”
The Vice President pointed out that in 2020, under Aubrey Norton’s tenure, the process took nearly a month because opposition members could not reach a consensus. “WIN misleadingly told their people that today the Opposition Leader would be sworn in, and somehow made it look like the PPP stopped it. That’s all garbage,” he said.
“They peddle a lot of misinformation.”Jagdeo also addressed speculation surrounding Azruddin Mohamed’s legal troubles in the United States, noting that his indictment on money laundering, wire fraud, and mail fraud charges was entirely unrelated to the Guyanese government. “It’s not the PPP, not one person in the PPP indicted him,” Jagdeo clarified.
“The U.S. prosecutors went before a grand jury, and the grand jury decided on the charges. These are serious matters.” He further emphasized that holding political office offers no immunity from prosecution.“There’s no immunity as a Member of Parliament, even as Opposition Leader,” he said.
“Being sworn in will not shield him from any legal consequences.”Dr. Jagdeo also pushed back against claims that the government breached any deadlines in reconvening Parliament, insisting that all actions were taken within constitutional timeframes. “We’re following the law,” he said.
“The opposition keeps playing the victim, but it’s not going to work. They will learn.”The Vice President’s remarks come amid a charged political climate, following days of public debate and confusion sparked by WIN’s premature announcement that Mohamed would be sworn in as Opposition Leader.
That claim was quickly contradicted by the official order paper, which made no reference to such an appointment.
