The opening of Guyana’s 13th Parliament is set for Monday, when all Members of Parliament (MPs), both government and non-government, will be sworn in. While 29 non-government MPs will take their oaths of office, no swearing-in of an Opposition Leader will take place.The official order paper for the parliamentary sitting does not include the swearing in of a Leader of the Opposition. The absence of this item on the agenda means that Monday’s sitting will be limited to the formal induction of members and the election of the presiding officers.Under the Constitution of Guyana, the process is clearly defined: non-government MPs must first be sworn in, after which they elect who among them will serve as Opposition Leader at a meeting to be chaired by the Speaker, who will also take his/her Oath at the first sitting, or the Clerk of the National Assembly.It is widely expected that U.S.-indicted businessman, Azruddin Mohamed, of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, will assume the role of Opposition Leader. Mohamed’s party secured a majority of 16 out of the 29 opposition seats in the National Assembly. Mohamed was indicted by the U.S. government on charges of gold smuggling and other financial crimes and is currently before the courts seeking to fight off an extradition request. Mohamed could likely face extradition in the coming weeks to face the charges against him in the United States.Businessman Azruddin MohamedWhile speculation has grown in recent days, with some calling for Mohamed to be sworn in speedily, it is important to note that the Constitution does not provide a separate swearing-in ceremony for the Leader of the Opposition, unlike the President or Ministers. Nor does his election confer any immunity from legal processes.PNC/APNU Opposition MP Ganesh Mahipaul had previously criticised misinformation circulating about the process, emphasising the clear legal framework.Responding to a post from the Mohamed’s camp, he said: “This post is fundamentally flawed and politically naïve… the election of the Leader of the Opposition is conducted strictly by a show of hands among Opposition MPs.”“Let us, for argument’s sake, assume that two or three WIN MPs were to defect and support someone other than Azruddin Mohamed or any person WIN deems acceptable. That individual may indeed become Leader of the Opposition.”“The law provides that if one-third of Opposition MPs express no confidence in the Leader of the Opposition, it automatically triggers a new election,” he cautioned.Notwithstanding, the formal process for electing and recognising the Opposition Leader is expected to follow in due course, in accordance with the Constitution.The post No swearing-in of Opposition Leader tomorrow as 13th Parliament convenes appeared first on News Room Guyana.