By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |
The Speaker of the National Assembly is yet to convene the required meeting of Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) to elect a Leader of the Opposition, more than three weeks after parliamentarians were sworn in on November 3.
APNU Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul said the delay is unacceptable, stressing that the position is a constitutional office that must be filled without further hesitation.
“The APNU has not changed its position, which is that it’s a constitutional office and it should be filled,” Mahipaul stated. “The way of doing it requires the Speaker to call a meeting of the non-government MPs. This process can take less than ten minutes—it is a simple show of hands.”
Mahipaul argued that the Speaker must preside over the election in the presence of the Clerk of the National Assembly to ensure the Opposition is properly constituted.
Meanwhile, A Partnership for National Unity and other civil society voices continue to express concern over what they describe as an intentional slowdown of parliamentary processes.
On a radio programme on Sunday, Forward Guyana Movement Leader Amanza Walton-Desir added her voice to the calls for action, warning that the prolonged delay undermines the country’s democratic posture.
“How are we to be taken seriously when we have a parliament that will deliberately not meet to appoint a Leader of the Opposition?” Walton-Desir asked, noting that the appointment is “critically important”—especially at a time when Guyana’s political landscape is being tested.
In recent days, supporters of the We Invest In Nationhood (WIN) Party have staged protests demanding that the Speaker move ahead with the process. The party has also written multiple letters to the Speaker calling for the election to be scheduled, but to date, no response has been issued.
The continued absence of a Leader of the Opposition leaves the National Assembly without one of its key constitutional checks and balances—an issue stakeholders warn must be urgently rectified.
