By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir on Tuesday declined to meet with Leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, Azruddin Mohamed, regarding the status of the long-delayed election of a Leader of the Opposition, further escalating political tensions and raising the prospect of legal action.
Mohamed said efforts by himself and other opposition Members of Parliament to secure a meeting with the Speaker were unsuccessful, despite formal requests made through the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs. According to the WIN leader, the request was aimed at clarifying when a meeting of opposition parliamentarians would be convened to elect an Opposition Leader, as required by the Constitution.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the Speaker’s posture, Mohamed said the refusal to engage comes at a critical time, as the country moves toward the presentation of the national budget. He warned that proceeding with the budget in the absence of an elected Opposition Leader would be unprecedented and deeply troubling for democratic governance.
Mohamed accused the government of seeking to advance major financial decisions without proper parliamentary oversight, arguing that the continued absence of an Opposition Leader undermines checks and balances within the National Assembly.
He stated that the WIN party would not treat the matter lightly and confirmed that legal action remains a real possibility should the budget be read without the constitutional requirement being fulfilled.
“Yes, we will have to take that step. This is unprecedented,” Mohamed said when asked whether court action would follow if the situation persists.
Meanwhile, Speaker Manzoor Nadir declined to comment when approached by media operatives on whether he intends to meet with the WIN parliamentary team or facilitate the election of an Opposition Leader in the near future.
The continued impasse has intensified criticism from opposition parties and civil society, who argue that the prolonged delay threatens parliamentary integrity and weakens Guyana’s democratic institutions.
