National Assembly to Elect Leader of the Opposition on Monday

The election of the next Leader of the Opposition will take place on Monday, January 26, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir said during a nationally televised address.
“I have asked the Clerk of the National Assembly to convene a meeting of all the non-governmental Members of Parliament for 10 a.m. on Monday, the 26th of January, 2026. And this is for the election of the Leader of the Opposition,” Nadir said.
The announcement follows weeks of public controversy since the 13th Parliament was convened on 3 November 2025. While opposition Members of Parliament were sworn in, no opposition leader was elected, prompting criticism that parliamentary business had stalled.
Nadir rejected those claims. “Our 13th Parliament, from the time it was convened on November 3rd, has been functional,” he said. He added that “in excess of 90 questions and five motions have been received by the clerk, analyzed process, and decisions communicated to opposition members.”
The Speaker said he faced sustained public attacks leading up to the decision to call the meeting. “I have been bombarded by vile aspersions which have been hurled at me by Azruddin Mohamed and his supporters,” Nadir said. “I have every intention of continuing in my tenure as speaker to honour and uphold the constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana without fear or favour, affection or ill will.”
Azruddin Mohamed, leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, has been sanctioned by the United States and is the presumptive Leader of the Opposition.
Addressing the anticipated outcome of the vote, Nadir said, “I have found myself in this difficult position to hold the election of the leader of the opposition when I know that the presumptive leader of the opposition to be elected, Azruddin Mohamed, is an international fugitive.” He added, “If Opposition Members of Parliament feel it morally right to elect an international fugitive, then the stain on our Parliament and our country rests solely with them.”
Nadir also dismissed external pressure to accelerate the process, including commentary from members of the diplomatic community. “The positions expressed by some sections of the media, some diplomats and opposition members, which give the impression that the National Assembly has been deliberately been inactive. They are false and outright absurdity,” he said.
Despite the tensions, the Speaker said he would not be deterred from executing his constitutional role. “I am not going to be intimidated by any backyard or front yard bully,” Nadir declared.
He concluded by appealing to opposition MPs ahead of Monday’s vote. “I pray, I trust, that those involved in this process of electing the Leader of the Opposition would be guided by the dignity of the House, the reputation of our country, and the sanctity of the responsibility that has been entrusted upon them by the electorate.”
The election will formally establish opposition leadership, clearing the way for full legislative activity, including the presentation of the 2026 National Budget.