THE much-hyped press conference by We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) amounted to a tightly staged hollow spectacle that barred a vast number of media outlets and, most glaringly, featured no appearance from its own presidential candidate, United States (US) sanctioned businessman, Azruddin Mohamed.

The press conference held on Tuesday has received much criticism as critics are claiming that it further eroded the party’s credibility, since rather than open dialogue with all media entities, WIN opted for a controlled political showcase, inviting only selected media outlets while excluding a number of critical news entities.
Facing international sanctions and domestic allegations of gold smuggling and tax evasion, Mohamed has not yet addressed the public and has dodged questions regarding these grave allegations and his political ambitions.

His no-show at his own party’s first press conference has only deepened criticism and suspicions about the party’s true motives.
On the other hand, the press conference’s lineup did little to inspire confidence.

Present were comedian Odessa Primus, former parliamentarian from APNU+AFC, Natasha Singh-Lewis, and Duarte Hetsberger, the former assistant to controversial ex-Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, who was fired in 2022 after a GECOM investigation found he deliberately wiped sensitive data from his assigned computers.

When asked about releasing their manifesto or plan for Guyana’s development, Primus said that WIN is waiting for “the best time” as they wait to see what the other parties are offering.
“We have been able to put together a manifesto. If I were to say, if there is anything that is causing us to not put it out as yet, it is because we are waiting on the right time… We want see what else is offered out there and we want to see what other people are offering,” Primus said.

Last week, after submitting a list of candidates to contest the upcoming elections, the US-sanctioned businessman and members of his party failed to present a single plan or policy for the development of Guyana.

This was also the case when he was asked whether he intends to bluff his way to the presidency.
His most confident moment came when affirming he was a billionaire, responding “exactly” to a journalist’s statement, as if wealth alone qualifies one to lead a nation.
It was a performance that confirmed what many have suspected from the outset – WIN is a party built on image and illusion, not ideas nor vision.

WIN’s attempt to paint itself as fresh is riddled with red flags, as the party is being led by a businessman who was sanctioned by U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

Azruddin along with his father, Nazar Mohamed and their businesses, namely Mohamed’s Enterprise, Hadi’s World and Team Mohamed’s Racing, on June 11, 2024, were sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which oversees sanctions against individuals and entities tied to illicit activities and hostile foreign governments.
Between 2019 and 2023, according to OFAC, Mohamed’s Enterprise omitted more than 10 thousand kilogrammes of gold from import-and-export declarations and avoided paying more than US$50 million in duty taxes to the Government of Guyana.”

As WIN tries to position itself in a positive light with calls for “transparency,” once again, Mohamed has been shielded from the press as he parades around with questionable candidates and dodges public scrutiny.