Under Diplomatic Pressure, Guyana Signals Move to Appoint Opposition Leader

News Americas, GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Wed. Jan. 21, 2026: Guyana has moved to end months of political uncertainty after Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir announced last night that opposition members of parliament are expected to meet on Monday, January 26th, to select the country’s next Leader of the Opposition.

Guyana’s parliament last met in Nov. 2025. It still has no opposition but could elect one come Jan. 26, 2026.

The announcement comes nearly three months after Guyana’s 13th Parliament was convened on November 3, 2025, following general elections held on September 1st, and amid mounting pressure from domestic stakeholders and diplomatic representatives from the United States, Canada, Britain, and the European Union.

In a televised address aired Tuesday night on the National Communications Network, (NCN), Speaker Nadir said the Clerk of the National Assembly has been instructed to facilitate the meeting ahead of the presentation of the 2026 National Budget. The appointment of an Opposition Leader is constitutionally required and is viewed as a key step in completing Parliament’s institutional framework.

“The necessary arrangements are being put in place,” Nadir said, noting that his absence from Guyana on official engagements contributed to delays in advancing the process. He added that he returned to the country earlier this week.

The prolonged absence of a formally appointed Opposition Leader has drawn criticism both locally and internationally, particularly given Guyana’s growing geopolitical profile as a major oil-producing nation within CARICOM. Diplomatic representatives from Western governments have privately and publicly urged the completion of parliamentary leadership structures to ensure democratic balance and effective governance.

Tensions escalated earlier Tuesday when representatives of the opposition We Invest in Nationhood, (WIN) party, led by businessman Azruddin Mohamed, attempted to engage the Speaker at Parliament Office. When the meeting did not take place, WIN members staged a protest outside Nadir’s residence.

Guyana’s 13th Parliament consists of 65 members. The governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) holds 36 seats. Among the opposition benches, WIN controls 16 seats, A Partnership for National Unity, (APNU), holds 12, and the Forward Guyana Movement, (FGM) holds one seat.

The appointment of an Opposition Leader is expected to restore full parliamentary functionality, including oversight, debate, and engagement on national policy – particularly as the country prepares to present its 2026 budget tied to its expanding oil economy.

President Irfaan Ali issued the proclamation to open Parliament last November at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, where all 65 members were sworn in. However, without an Opposition Leader, key constitutional mechanisms have remained incomplete.

The opposition meeting scheduled for Monday at 10:00 a.m. is expected to determine the nominee who will formally assume the role, ending a period of political limbo that has tested Guyana’s democratic institutions. Mohamed is expected to be the country’s next opposition leader despite attempts to have him extradited to the US.