GEORGETOWN — The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Party is raising urgent concerns over what it claims is an unexplained and unconstitutional delay by Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir to convene the meeting required to elect the Leader of the Opposition. According to WIN, the Speaker’s continued inaction represents a serious departure from parliamentary norms and risks undermining the balance of power set out in Guyana’s Constitution.
In a public statement issued Monday, WIN argued that Article 184 of the Constitution clearly mandates that non-governmental Members of Parliament must elect their Opposition Leader at a meeting chaired by the Speaker. The party says it formally submitted its nominee moments after the 13th Parliament adjourned on November 3, yet has received no acknowledgment of that correspondence.
WIN further claims that the delay stands in sharp contrast to the swift swearing-in of the President immediately after GECOM’s declaration. The party says the difference in treatment raises questions about constitutional fairness. “This discrepancy is deeply troubling,” the statement said, arguing that the absence of an Opposition Leader weakens oversight and hinders the functioning of Parliament.
The party also points to past precedent, noting that in 2015 the meeting was convened within one week, and even during the tense post-election period of 2020, the Opposition Leader was elected soon after MPs were sworn in. According to WIN, the delay in 2025 is “unlike anything seen in modern parliamentary practice,” especially since Parliament itself only reconvened at the end of the four-month constitutional window.
WIN says repeated attempts to engage the Speaker have gone unanswered. A follow-up email sent on November 10 received no reply, and a third request was dispatched on November 17. The party claims it has seen “no indication” that Speaker Nadir intends to schedule the meeting.
WIN is now publicly questioning whether the Speaker is fulfilling the impartial role required of his office. “Guyanese deserve to know why this constitutional process is being sidelined,” the statement said, calling the situation “unprecedented” and urging immediate action to restore normal parliamentary operations.
The Speaker has not yet issued a response to WIN’s allegations.
