Azruddin Mohamed formally declared Leader of the Opposition

Azruddin Mohamed of We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) was on Monday declared Guyana’s new Leader of the Opposition following an election held among Opposition Members of Parliament at the Parliament Buildings.

Azruddin Mohamed, along with his father Nazar Mohamed have been indicted on several charges in the United States and are now facing extradition proceedings. They are charged with, among other things, money laundering, wire and mail fraud, bribery and tax evasion and related allegations.

The election of the Leader of the Opposition was conducted during a meeting convened by Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, ahead of the presentation of the 2026 National Budget. The process formally establishes the leadership of the parliamentary opposition in the 13th Parliament.

Amanza Walton-Desir voted as the lone Member of Parliament from the Forward Guyana Movement voted for Mohamed along with the 16 We Invest in Nationhood MPs; the 12 APNU+ MPs left the meeting after the nomination was made.

The election was carried out by a show of hands in the parliamentary chambers.

Members of the media have never been allowed to witness the meeting to elect the leader of the opposition, and on Monday, they were also denied access to Parliament buildings and the compound.

While the vote was taking place, supporters gathered outside the Parliament Buildings. Loud cheers erupted when Mohamed arrived at the compound and again when he emerged following the conclusion of the election.