GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The leader of the main opposition, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), Azruddin Mohamed, Monday said he intends taking legal action against the Speaker of Parliament, Manzoor Nadir, over the delay in holding a meeting to elect a leader of the opposition.
Azruddin Mohamed, wearing shades, listens as the lawyers discuss trheir case after appearing in court on Monday“We have to move to the court,” Mohamed told reporters as he emerged from the magistrate’s court where he and his father, Nazar Mohamed are challenging their extradition to the United States on fraud related charges.
WIN became the second highest party in the National Assembly after winning 16 of the 65 seats in the National Assembly following the September 1 regional and general election that was won by the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
The opposition coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), which had been the main opposition party in the last parliament, won 12 seats, while the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) won one seat.
Mohamed told reporters that he would “continue to my work as the presumptive opposition leader.”
His attorney, Siand Dhurjohn, told reporters that he has already started drafting proceedings ahead of the expiration of an ultimatum next Monday.
“We don’t expect him to do anything sensible so we’re going to be prepared to serve him ” he told reporters, adding that the Speaker is obligated to facilitate the election of the Opposition Leader at meeting by non-government parliamentarians.
“It should be done as soon as possible. The very constitution constitution contemplates that it be done as soon as possible,” he said, adding “there are duties and obligations of the Leader of the Opposition which are indispensable to our democracy that the Leader of the Opposition has to do which he, as a result of the Speaker’s inaction, is deprived of the ability to do those things,” he added.
The Guyana government has repeatedly said Mohamed’s election as a parliamentarian and opposition leader would not immunise him from being extradited to the United States to face trial in a Florida Federal Court for wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering.
But Mohamed told reporters that his challenge of the extradition request would take several years.
“We have about more than five years coming up these court steps. You just can’t extradite someone like that,” he added.
