Serious reputational crisis for Guyana

Dear Editor,
Guyana is on the verge of walking into a serious reputational crisis if Azruddin Mohamed is selected as Leader of the Opposition. The issue before us has always been straightforward: Parliament meets, and a Leader of the Opposition is elected. Simple. What is now at stake is judgement, integrity, and national responsibility, because the pending selection being pushed is presumptively Azruddin Mohamed.
Let it be absolutely clear: if the Opposition were to select any other Parliamentarian at this time, that would be their lawful choice and a normal exercise of democratic practice. But elevating a man who has been sanctioned and indicted by the United States on 11 charges and who is now regarded internationally as a fugitive offender is not normal, but it is reckless, indefensible, and dangerous. The Opposition Members must understand the gravity of what they are about to do.
Electing an Opposition Leader under such circumstances would not only drag the credibility of the Opposition into the gutter, but it would also place Guyana’s reputation, Parliament’s honour, and our national standing at severe risk. It would also send a poisonous message to the country, especially to our youth: that status can be used to shield wrongdoing, that power can be used to sanitise disgrace, and that the highest offices can be treated like trophies rather than responsibilities. That is not leadership. That is moral collapse.
Democracy is not merely about numbers and votes. Democracy must be anchored in moral fortitude, decency, honesty, and respect for institutions. Without those values, democracy becomes a hollow performance – loud, shameless, and destructive. It is therefore deeply troubling to watch political actors behave as though they are “saving democracy” when democracy was never in danger. Azruddin Mohamed and his acolytes were never chasing principled leadership; they were spotlight-chasing while manufacturing outrage and engaging in the worst forms of political theatre. Guyanese are not fools. They can see the circus for what it is.
We caution the 29 Opposition Members of Parliament: do not create a burden for yourselves and a stain for this nation by making the wrong choice. History will not treat this as a harmless political manoeuvre. History will judge it harshly. And the consequences – political, institutional, and reputational – will be yours to answer for. This is the moment to open your eyes, reject the spectacle, and do what is right.
Guyana deserves real representation and not reckless symbolism, not moral compromise, and not leadership that turns Parliament into an international embarrassment.

Yours sincerely,
Association For Democracy and Human Rights (Guyana) Inc