Dear Editor,
I refer to the letter carried in the Stabroek Newspaper titled, “Electing the Leader of the Opposition[1]” written by Nivelle J. Bissember and published on November 26, 2025. Permit me to offer a response with brief clarifications grounded in the Standing Orders of the National Assembly and Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.
Mr. Bissember, whether deliberately or for lack of knowledge, overlooked the very first rule governing the Parliament. Standing Order 1(1) states: “Except for the purpose of electing a Speaker and Deputy Speaker after a general election, no Member of the Assembly shall take part in the proceedings thereof until he or she has made and subscribed before the Assembly the Oath of Office set out in the First Schedule to the Constitution.” This means:
No parliamentary business can occur before Members are sworn in.
The Speaker must be elected first, before exercising any authority.
Only after this can the Speaker convene the meeting of non-governmental Members to elect the Leader of the Opposition, as required by Article 184(1) of the Constitution.
It follows that the election of the Leader of the Opposition is part of the proceedings of the House, not an activity that can happen outside or before the proper convening of Parliament. Without a sworn-in Parliament and an elected Speaker, no such meeting is validly possible.
My second point is reference to article 184 (2) which states: “The Office of the Leader of the Opposition shall become vacant if – (b) he or she is not a member of the Assembly when the Assembly first meets after the dissolution of Parliament.” Mr. Aubrey Norton was Opposition Leader up until November 3, 2025. I thank Mr. Bissember for his service to Guyana and would gladly sit with him at his convenience to discuss further if he finds it necessary.