Prime Ministerial Candidate of the We Invest In Nationhood party, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, says there is nothing preventing Azruddin Mohamed from taking up the post of Leader of the Opposition.
In a press statement on Tuesday, Sarabo-Halley dismissed claims of a constitutional crisis following Mohamed’s recent indictment by the United States, calling such assertions “misleading and politically opportunistic.”
She said suggestions of a crisis reflect either “a misunderstanding of the Constitution or a deliberate attempt to distort it for partisan gain.”
According to Sarabo-Halley, the Constitution does not state that an indictment—whether domestic or foreign—bars a duly elected Member of Parliament from being sworn in or from assuming the office of Leader of the Opposition. She pointed out that the qualifications and disqualifications for Members of Parliament are clearly outlined in Articles 155 and 156, and “an indictment is not among them.”
Sarabo-Halley also rejected claims that Parliament has been thrown into crisis because of the indictment. She emphasized that Parliament remains constitutionally intact and fully functional, and that the position of Opposition Leader is filled through the collective decision of non-governmental members of the National Assembly. “There is nothing in law that prevents Mr. Mohamed from being elected to that office by his colleagues,” she added.
On the suggestion that a consensus candidate should be appointed as Opposition Leader, Sarabo-Halley described the idea as “absurd.”
“The people of Guyana have already made their choice at the ballot box. They did not vote for consensus behind closed doors; they voted for representation and leadership that reflects their democratic will. Attempts to override that will under the pretext of “stability” or “national consensus” are nothing short of disrespectful to the electorate,” she stated.
Drawing a parallel, Sarabo-Halley compared Mohamed’s indictment to President Irfaan Ali’s19 fraud charges, which were later discontinued when he assumed office.
She said the sudden moral outrage over Mohamed’s situation is “selective and hypocritical,”noting that Ali had his Canadian visa revoked during that period. “Yet neither the People’s Progressive Party nor its supporters argued that Guyana would descend into constitutional chaos if he became President,” she pointed out, questioning what she described as a double standard.
“The truth is that the Constitution must apply equally to all,” Sarabo-Halley said. “If it was not a constitutional crisis for Irfaan Ali to become President while facing serious allegations, then it certainly is not one for Azruddin Mohamed to become Leader of the Opposition while under indictment. Anything else is pure political theatre.”