Joseph Harmon, who resigned as Leader of the Opposition earlier this year, will now leave the National Assembly altogether when his newly-submitted resignation as a Member of Parliament takes effect from March 15, 2022.
Harmon’s resignation as a Parliamentarian was confirmed on Saturday by Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs.
The Clerk told the News Room that he received a copy of the resignation letter that was sent to the Speaker Manzoor Nadir. Isaacs told the News Room that there has been no indication yet from the APNU+AFC coalition on who will replace Harmon in the National Assembly. Sources have confirmed to the News Room that no one has been identified as a replacement yet.
Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones told the News Room on Saturday that there would be discussions at the party-level for Harmon’s replacement.
The coalition has 31 seats in the National Assembly; a joinder list of A New United Guyana (ANUG), the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and The New Movement (TNM) has one seat.
Meanwhile, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government has 33 seats in the House. Altogether, there are 65 seats in the National Assembly.
When he resigned as Leader of the Opposition in January, Harmon had said that he would remain a Member of Parliament for the APNU+AFC Coalition.
The News Room understands that following his failed attempt to seize the leadership of the PNC/R during the December 2021 Congress, Harmon was confronted by weekly manoeuvres from party comrades to give up the post to new PNC/R Leader Aubrey Norton.
But it was Former Education Minister Dr. Nicolette Henry who gave up her parliamentary seat to make way for Norton. Her resignation takes effect on March 31, 2022, however, and that has since delayed Norton’s chance of getting to Parliament until April.
The APNU+AFC remains in turmoil since its attempts to rig the March 2020 national elections. It has been over a month now since the Opposition has been without an Opposition Leader.
