BREAKING: Election of Opposition Leader set for next Monday

The election of Guyana’s next Leader of the Opposition is set for Monday, January 26, Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir announced during a live televised broadcast on the National Communications Network (NCN) on Tuesday night.

Speaker Nadir said asked the clerk convene a meeting with Opposition Members of Parliament on Monday, ahead of the presentation of the National Budget. The long-awaited move clears the way for the formal establishment of the leadership for the parliamentary opposition in the 13th Parliament.

The development comes after the 13th Parliament was convened on November 3, 2025. At that sitting, Speaker Nadir administered the oath of office to Opposition Members of Parliament, but no further sittings were held. The Speaker subsequently travelled overseas on official duties and only returned to Guyana a few days ago.

Earlier on Tuesday, the presumptive Leader of the Opposition Azruddin Mohamed of We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), along with other parliamentarians, visited the Parliament Office in anticipation of an audience with Speaker Nadir. However, the impromptu meeting did not materialise. On Tuesday night, representatives of that part staged a protest in front of the Speaker’s house.

Mohamed’s WIN party secured 16 of the 29 non-government seats in the new Parliament, giving it a clear majority among opposition MPs and positioning Mohamed as the frontrunner for the post of Leader of the Opposition.

The election of an Opposition Leader is a key constitutional requirement and is expected to restore full parliamentary functionality, particularly as the government prepares to present Budget 2026 and advance other legislative business.