–as Opposition Leader selection nears
AFTER a crushing defeat at the September 1, 2025 elections, which stripped the party of its title of main opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) now has an opportunity at redemption by doing what is morally just and not voting for an Opposition Leader who is facing severe criminal charges in US.
Human rights groups, international stakeholders, civil society players and other sections of society have amplified calls for the opposition Members of Parliament to “do the right thing” come Monday, January 26, 2026, when the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, convenes a meeting to elect a Leader of the Opposition.
The APNU, according to critics, have the task of not only voting against or abstaining from the elevation of the U.S.-indicted Azruddin Mohamed, but also the moral obligation to encourage members of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) parliamentarians to do the same and stand on the right side of history.
It is a matter of public record that Mohamed is the subject of criminal charges in the United States, including allegations relating to gold smuggling and tax evasion.
One rights group, the Association of People of African Descent (APAD), reminded persons that under Guyana’s constitutional framework, the Leader of the Opposition occupies a uniquely powerful role.
The officeholder is a central figure in several constitutional appointments, participates directly in safeguarding democratic checks and balances, and represents the State in engagements that demand credibility, sound judgment, and public confidence. This is not a ceremonial position, nor one that can be insulated from scrutiny by political convenience.
Communication Consultant and civil society member, Kit Nascimento, had recently called on Mohamed to step aside from any bid to become Leader of the Opposition and instead submit himself to the United States judicial system to clear his name, warning that Guyana faces serious economic, diplomatic and security risks if a US-sanctioned individual occupies such a high constitutional office.
In a letter to the Editor, Nascimento argued that while the PPP/C secured a decisive victory at the September 1, 2025 General and Regional Elections, the emergence of WIN as the main opposition, with Mohamed at its helm, presents what he described as a “stark and dangerous” threat to the country’s stability.
Nascimento reminded the public that he had raised similar concerns even before the elections, noting that WIN was “led by a person sanctioned by the US government, accused of gross criminal activity and who is before our own courts charged for further criminal activity.”
He said that subsequent responses from the US Embassy in Georgetown only reinforced those concerns. According to Nascimento, the embassy had confirmed that while Guyana itself is not subject to broad US sanctions, “US persons are not generally prohibited from investing in Guyana, provided no sanctioned persons are involved in such transactions.”
“The emphasis is mine,” Nascimento wrote, adding that this leaves open the risk of direct harm to US-Guyana investment flows should Mohamed be involved in any official or commercial dealings.
US. journalist and researcher Thomas Anderson, had also lamented that Mohamed challenging the US on their request for his extradition, threatens not only the very fabric of Guyana but has potential to reverberate across the Caribbean, undermining regional stability.
Anderson made reference to the potential elevation of Azruddin in Guyana’s political arena, stating: “He’s trying to avoid extradition, and the way he’s doing it is through the politics of the nation of Guyana; which is not good.”
While stressing the gravity of this matter, Anderson noted that the US’ relationship with Guyana has become even stronger within these past few years, but faces an imminent threat owing to Azruddin’s challenge to the extradition request.
“The political chaos that could occur from having this one individual fight extradition to the United States could create a domino effect where whatever is being done in Venezuela can be totally undermined, whatever is being done in Cuba, anywhere in the region can be totally undermined,” he said, noting that the potential elevation of Mohamed could also affect Guyana’s energy markets.
Concerned about the potential reputational damage and other issues Guyana could sustain, Speaker Nadir had noted that he found himself in a difficult constitutional position, presiding over the election of the presumptive candidate, Mohamed.
He argued that such a development would be unprecedented in the Westminster parliamentary tradition, warning that elevating a wanted individual to the post of Opposition Leader would tarnish Guyana’s international image.
Nadir appealed to MPs to approach the process with a sense of duty, morality, and patriotism.
Back in October last, a federal grand jury in Miami returned an indictment, charging the father and son with participating in a multi-year scheme to evade millions of dollars in taxes and royalties owed to the Government of Guyana through fraudulent gold export practices and related money laundering activities.
According to court documents, Nazar, 72, and Azruddin, 38, were owners of Mohamed’s Enterprise, a gold wholesaler and exporter in Guyana that sold gold to buyers in Miami and Dubai.
Both were sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control in June 2024.
According to an article published by Reuters in 2023, Mohameds had deny any wrongdoing. They are being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Homeland Security and other U.S. agencies, on suspicions of smuggling Colombian cocaine and illegally mined Venezuelan gold to the United States, Europe and the Middle East, according to the five sources with knowledge of the probe.
The Mohameds are also suspected of laundering money for drug traffickers and criminals, including sanctioned Russian nationals operating in the region, according to one of the intelligence reports.
