By Nazima Raghubir
Two months after elections in Guyana, US sanctioned businessman Azurddin Mohamed is yet to be formally appointed Leader of the Opposition. Mohamed and his father Nazar are facing extradition to the United States following a Grand Jury indictment on charges of money laundering linked to alleged gold smuggling and wire fraud.
On Monday morning, after appearing in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for the ongoing extradition hearing, Mohamed surrounded by some three hundred placard bearing supporters walked over to Public Buildings, the traditional seat of Guyana’s Parliament, calling on Speaker Manzoor Nadir to call a sitting of the National Assembly and to appoint Mohamed as the Leader of the Opposition.
Mohamed’s Party, We invest in Nationhood, formed three months before elections edged out the former main opposition party, A Partnership for National Unity by capturing more than 109,000 votes. This gave WIN sixteen seats in the National Assembly and propelled Mohamed into the role of Leader of the Opposition which is a constitutional office.
Speaking to Capitol News on Monday while standing in front of the Parliament building, Mohamed accused the Speaker Mandoor Nadir and ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic of “undermining democracy.” Mohamed called on the Speaker to urgently convene Parliament, “what is taking them so long, 109,000 persons voted for me and they are trampling on the rights and will of the people”.
“There is nothing preventing the swearing in of Mr Mohamed,” WIN’s General Secretary Odessa Primus said, pointing out that the party reviewed the appointment of all other Leaders of the Opposition of the years and found that it was done at the swearing of Members of Parliament at the beginning of each sitting. Mohamed denied that he is insulating himself against extradition by urging he be appointed Leader of the Opposition, “no, that is not true, this (court) matter got years and we will win this matter, we got more than five more years of coming up the court steps,” Mohamed said, “I’ll continue to do my work as the presumptive Leader of the Opposition,” he declared.
Mohamed has not ruled out challenging this issue in the court.