GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Attorney General Anil Nandlall says Guyana is approaching an extraordinary and potentially destabilising constitutional moment as a parliamentarian facing criminal indictment in the United States appears poised to become the country’s next Leader of the Opposition.
Speaking on his weekly programme Issues in the News, Nandlall said the situation is without precedent in Guyana’s political history and may have no parallel across the English-speaking Commonwealth. The vacancy arose after the 2025 General and Regional Elections, which saw the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party place second, positioning its leader, MP Azruddin Mohamed, as the likely nominee.
Mohamed has been criminally indicted in the United States, sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department, and remains the subject of active extradition proceedings involving allegations of money laundering, mail fraud and related offences. Despite this, he is constitutionally eligible to serve and is widely expected to secure the post once Parliament convenes.
While sections of the public have questioned the delay in calling the election for Opposition Leader, Nandlall dismissed concerns over timing as procedural. Speaker Manzoor Nadir, who is overseas, is expected to summon the sitting upon his return.
“The scheduling is routine,” Nandlall said. “What is not routine is the possibility of someone who is wanted abroad for serious criminal allegations occupying one of the highest constitutional offices in our country. That is the true constitutional dilemma.”
The prospect has stirred unease across civic, political and professional circles, with increasing scrutiny over the implications such an elevation could have for the credibility of Guyana’s institutions, its international reputation, and its diplomatic relationships.
Nandlall warned that allowing a criminally-indicted MP wanted by a key international partner to assume such a senior parliamentary role could significantly undermine the integrity of the National Assembly. “Parliament is the highest institution of national governance,” he said. “This would be the first time in our history—and perhaps anywhere in a comparable Commonwealth democracy—that someone under active extradition proceedings rises to this office.”
He acknowledged that his remarks may draw criticism but insisted they are grounded in constitutional responsibility and the need to safeguard institutional legitimacy. “This is not about politics,” he said. “It is about protecting the integrity of the offices that uphold our democracy.”
Speaker Nadir is expected to return in the coming days, clearing the way for the long-awaited election and intensifying national debate over the unprecedented possibility of a criminally-indicted MP ascending to the role of Opposition Leader.