HGP Nightly News – With regional security tensions escalating and Parliament still without an Opposition Leader, the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) has issued a stark warning that Guyana is operating without meaningful democratic oversight at a critical moment.
In a strongly worded statement released on Saturday, WIN said the prolonged failure to install an Opposition Leader has left Parliament weakened and sidelined, just as geopolitical developments in neighbouring Venezuela heighten security concerns for Guyana.
The party’s intervention follows a United States military operation in Venezuela that reportedly resulted in the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. WIN said the development has dramatically altered the regional security landscape and demands a unified, constitutionally grounded national response.
According to WIN, that response is impossible while Parliament remains incomplete.
“This moment demands national unity, institutional maturity, and responsible leadership,” the party said, arguing that the continued absence of an Opposition Leader has effectively stripped Parliament of its oversight function, particularly on matters of national security.
WIN currently holds the largest bloc of opposition seats in the National Assembly, with 16 Members of Parliament. The A Partnership for National Unity holds 12 seats, while Forward Movement Guyana (FGM) has one. Despite the 13th Parliament convening in early November 2025 and all MPs being sworn in, no meeting has yet been called to elect an Opposition Leader.
That meeting must be presided over by Manzoor Nadir, who has not announced a date for the process to take place.
WIN said the delay has real consequences, warning that Guyana is navigating a volatile regional environment without the checks and balances envisioned by the Constitution.
The party specifically called for the immediate convening of Parliament to elect an Opposition Leader, which would activate the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector and allow for bipartisan review of Guyana’s security posture.
“Silence and exclusion are not strength,” WIN said, cautioning that continued executive dominance weakens the country’s ability to respond to external threats. The party argued that transparency, consultation, and constitutional governance are essential during periods of regional instability.
WIN Leader and Member of Parliament Azruddin Mohamed has repeatedly raised the issue, including in his New Year address, where he noted that Guyana entered 2026 without an Opposition Leader in place.
President Irfaan Ali, when questioned late last year, said the Speaker had been overseas but indicated that the process would be addressed upon his return.
“I’m sure that the Speaker and the National Assembly would convene a meeting at the appropriate time,” the President said.
However, Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs has previously noted that while the Constitution outlines the method for selecting an Opposition Leader, it does not prescribe a deadline, leaving the timing to the Speaker’s discretion.
The absence of an Opposition Leader has already fuelled constitutional disputes. President Ali’s recent move to swear in members of the Teaching Service Commission drew objections from opposition parties.
As regional uncertainty grows and constitutional questions deepen, WIN has warned that Guyana cannot afford to drift without a functioning parliamentary counterbalance, insisting that restoring opposition leadership is no longer a procedural issue, but a matter of national stability.
