GEORGETOWN – The political crisis engulfing the incoming Opposition has intensified, with VPAC issuing a scathing condemnation of WIN Party’s stance, warning that the selection of indicted leader Azruddin Mohamed would turn the Office of the Leader of the Opposition into an “international embarrassment.”
VPAC sharply criticized incoming MP Tabitha Sarabo-Halley for allegedly “defending bad judgment” by claiming no constitutional provision prevents Mohamed, who is facing U.S. charges including gold smuggling and wire fraud, from taking the post.
“Hon. Sarabo-Halley says, ‘The Constitution doesn’t say an indicted man can’t be Leader of the Opposition.’ Maybe not but it also doesn’t say we have to act foolishly,” VPAC argued, dismissing the legalistic defense in favor of “plain common sense.”
The Extradition Threat: A Political Disaster
VPAC argued that the fundamental issue is not guilt or innocence, but basic competence and integrity. The committee declared that no Opposition “serious about leading this country should start the next Parliament with someone fighting extradition to the United States to face an array of charges including the illegal smuggling of thousands of kilograms of gold.”
The statement highlighted the disastrous political optics of such a choice, asking the ultimate rhetorical question: “Are we going to watch the Leader of the Opposition hauled off in handcuffs while the government laughs from the sidelines?” The committee stressed that a Leader cannot credibly fight for honesty and accountability in Parliament while simultaneously battling a U.S. court bench in Florida.
Demand for a ‘Clean’ Consensus
VPAC reminded the Opposition that Attorney General Anil Nandlall has already confirmed Guyana will honour any U.S. extradition request. The committee issued a blunt demand for an immediate change in course, insisting that the Opposition must stop “twisting the Constitution to defend the indefensible.”
The committee urged Opposition MPs to remember that their oath is to “serve the people, not to serve one man’s ego.”
In a final call for unity and political maturity, VPAC warned that failure to act will give the government the excuse it needs to “run the country unchecked.” The committee reiterated its demand for the leadership of WIN, APNU, and the Forward Guyana Movement to meet immediately and agree on a “clean, credible, and respected consensus candidate” to assume the “weighty responsibility” of the Leader of the Opposition.
