Guardrails of democracy being kicked down

September 8, 2026·2 min read

Published in

Kiskadee Watch ·Sep 8, 2026

Dear Editor,

What happened last week with government’s intensified attack on Azruddin Mohamed, Opposition Leader, particularly the event surrounding September 3, where he was arrested twice over spurious allegations^[1], is further evidence the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) regime, with the support of the Guyana Police Force^[2], is behaving maniacally, kicking down the guardrails of democracy.

Guyana is witnessing a full-scale abuse of the Constitution and citizens’ rights by the PPP to settle political scores or target persons it deems enemies.

We are losing our way as a nation. For some time now, the society has come to believe that the people of Guyana no longer matter to the politicians, and those in power have unfettered reins to do as they please without accountability.

The PPP has taken the decision for years that it is not only going to be confined to making policies and decisions to guide the nation in keeping with the role of politicians, but is taking over every operational space within the Executive prescribed for department heads. The regime is inserting loyalists who are then beholden to the PPP and not the rule of law and universally acceptable principles.

We have witnessed the overreach everywhere—the Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Police Force, Public Service, Teaching Service; even the Judiciary and Legislature, which are constitutionally independent arms of government.

The PPP’s tentacles are in every arm of the state and non-state sector.

Our society has become repressive and is becoming more dangerously so every day. We are at a very critical point, a point at which we need to oppose before it is too late.

Even the police have taken the decision that the Opposition Leader, an elected/constitutional position, must be limited in his freedom to fulfil the role of his office. As Opposition Leader, Mohamed is more than entitled to move around the length and breadth of this country without fear or interruption to his travel and movement, whether in private or public capacity.

If the holder of such a powerful office, elected by more than 100,000 voters, according to GECOM^[3], has his movement on the public thoroughfare being questioned, what next can be expected for the average citizen?

Guyanese should not take this act of the PPP regime lightly or for granted because it threatens not only Mohamed but every citizen whom the PPP perceives not to be in its camp. And, as history has shown, even those within its camp can suffer a similar fate.

This is a warning, sounded again, to all Guyanese, be it in the opposition, government, or presumably non-aligned. We have to be enlightened to this threat which the nation currently faces and develop an awareness of what it means to every single person in the 83,000 square miles of Guyana, regardless of your connection/support to the government, religion, race, class, colour, creed, or geographic location.

To remain silent is to demonstrate complicity with the oppressive acts of government and the violation of the rights of citizens and others in Guyana. The violation of anyone’s rights is a threat to all.

Yours faithfully,
Lincoln Lewis

References

Guyana Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed Arrested Twice In One Night And Twice In Days — www.newsamericasnow.com ↩
Opposition Leader released after second arrest for ‘breaching security protocol’, others also released from custody – Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana — demerarawaves.com ↩
US-indicted Azruddin Mohamed new Opposition Leader - Guyana Times — guyanatimesgy.com ↩

Published in

Kiskadee Watch ·Sep 8, 2026

Guyana Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed Arrested Twice In One Night And Twice In Days

www.newsamericasnow.com · 2026-09-04

Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed Arrested Twice In One Night And Twice In Days ... Guyana Opposition Leader ... ruddin Mohamed Arrested Twice In One Night And Twice In Days ... News Americas, GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Fri. Sept. 4, 2026: Guyana opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed was detained twice in one night Thursday with police and Mohamed offering conflicting accounts of what happened. ... It marks the second time in just over a week that Mohamed has been detained by Guyana police. On August 26th, he was released on $100,000 bail following a six-hour standoff involving Joint Services personnel and a vessel carrying opposition figures on the Demerara River, after police alleged the boat failed to respond to sirens during a high-speed pursuit and that a bag had been thrown overboard. Opposition MPs disputed that account, saying the vessel was already docked when police arrived and that a full search turned up no illegal items. That incident also saw MP Natasha Singh-Lewis arrested after a firearm belonging to a colleague was found in her vehicle, and drew condemnation from opposition figures who accused the government of “weaponizing” state security forces against them. Mohamed and fellow WIN parliamentarians had just completed a humanitarian visit to MV Barima disaster survivors when that incident occurred. ... Guyana opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed was detained twice in one night on Sept. 2, 2026 ... Police said Thursday two heavily tinted vehicles were spotted around 6:20 p.m. near the Guyana president’s residence and claimed it was concerning to security personnel there. Officers said the vehicles “sped away” after occupants noticed Presidential Guards on duty, prompting a “distress call” and a police response that intercepted both vehicles. Mohamed and others were found inside but in a live video, Mohamed disputed that the vehicles were heavily tinted. He was briefly detained before being released. ... The Guyana Civil ... were found in ... Act 201 ... Mohamed disputed key elements of the account in comments to Demerara Waves. He acknowledged one drone was found but said it did not belong to him and was never flown, offering police access to its flight history to confirm. He said the second intercepted vehicle, stopped separately in Crane, West Demerara, had no connection to him beyond its driver briefly greeting him in passing. He also denied driving on the street where Ali’s private residence is located, saying he had instead passed a nearby street en route to inspect sea defence works. ... Mohamed was arrested again late Thursday night and held at the Leonora Police Station, apparently after showing a group of people, via Facebook Live, the area connected to his earlier detention. During the broadcast, Mohamed showed a fenced piece of land near a mosque that he and others alleged encroached on a government reserve, saying, “Like Irfaan Ali ain’t know the more he fights me down, the more I am going to expose things about him and his government?” ... Police approached and escorted the group back to the station shortly after. Mohamed repeatedly asked what offence he had allegedly committed before complying; a senior police officer told him “it is alleged that you breached security protocol.” Police also instructed him to end the Facebook Live broadcast. ... Mohamed was released a second time on self-bail and told to return Saturday. His phone, laptop and vehicle had not yet been returned as of Friday, according to WIN General Secretary Odessa Primus. WIN executive member Tabita Sarabo-Halley said parliamentarians Dr. Gordon Barker, Dr. Andre Lewis and regional councillor Sean Nelson were also released without charge; Nelson’s phone had not been returned as of Friday, while the phones belonging to Barker and Lewis were. ... The Guyana Police Force did not name Mohamed in its initial statement, referring only to two vehicles acting suspiciously near the president’s residence.

Opposition Leader released after second arrest for ‘breaching security protocol’, others also released from custody – Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana

demerarawaves.com · 2026-09-04

Opposition Leader released after second arrest for ‘breaching security protocol’, others also released from custody – Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana # Opposition Leader released after second arrest for ‘breaching security protocol’, others also released from custody by Denis Chabrol Friday, 4 September 2026, 7:30 Last Updated on Friday, 4 September 2026, 9:11 by Denis Chabrol A section of the fence around a large area of land parallel to the Leonora Seawall. Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed was late Thursday night arrested a second time and held at the Leonora Police Station, West Coast Demerara apparently because he was showing several persons what seemed to have led to to his first arrest hours earlier. Mr Mohamed was subsequently released from custody again, but his mobile phone was kept by police, General Secretary of the main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, Odessa Primus. WIN executive member Tabita Sarabo-Halley said WIN parliamentarians Dr Gordon Barker, Dr Andre Lewis and regional councillor Sean Nelson were also released from police custody without charge and their phones, which were taken to another location, were returned. Mr Nelson’s phone was not returned he was expected to return later Friday for it. Ms Halley said Mr Mohamed’s phone, laptop and vehicle were yet to be returned by police. Law enforcement agencies around the world have specialised devices that can unlock phones and computers and access all data for investigative purposes. According to a Facebook Live, Mr Mohamed was showing a number of persons where he and his photographer were earlier Thursday after which they were intercepted by police and taken to the station. A drone was found in the vehicle but Mr Mohamed said it was not his property and it was not being used. The Guyana Police Force did not name Mr Mohamed in its statement early Thursday night but said two vehicles were seen acting in a suspicious manner near President Irfaan Ali’s private residence at Leonora. Mr Mohamed denied he was in the street where Dr Ali’s private home is located. After he was released from custody on self-bail, he escorted several persons with him on foot to the area where he said he and his photographer had gone in the evening to observe sea defence works. While walking he commented and showed on Facebook Live a large area of land near a masjid that was protected by a very sturdy, high concrete fence. “Like this chap ain’t know the more he fights me down, the more I will expose things. Like Irfaan Ali ain’t know the more he fights me down, the more I am going to expose things about him and his government?,” Mr Mohamed remarked. He and others alleged that the fence encroached on a government reserve. Police minutes later approached and escorted them back to the station. Before he complied with instructions to enter the police compound, Mr Mohamed repeatedly asked what offence he allegedly committed. A senior police officer said, “it is alleged that you breached security protocol” . Police also instructed him to discontinue the Facebook Live broadcast. The photographer, driver of another vehicle that Mr Mohamed said was not associated with him, and a number of WIN parliamentarians were also held in custody.

US-indicted Azruddin Mohamed new Opposition Leader - Guyana Times

guyanatimesgy.com · 2026-01-27

January 27, 2026 #### United States (US)-indicted businessman Azruddin Mohamed, the Leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party was unsurprisingly elected Leader of the Opposition on Monday, after securing all 16 WIN parliamentary votes, along with the support of Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) leader, Amanza Walton-Desir. The 12 members of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) did not participate, having walked out of the meeting shortly after Mohamed’s nomination. As expected, Mohamed was the only nomination put forth for the position, given that his WIN party has the largest number of opposition MPs among the 29 opposition seats. Mohamed described the process as “very smooth, no hiccups,” as he spoke with reporters after the election at Parliament building in Georgetown. Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, have been indicted by a grand jury in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida on 11 criminal charges ranging from wire fraud and mail fraud to money laundering, primarily connected to the export of gold to the US by their company, Mohamed’s Enterprises. The Mohameds are accused of conspiring to defraud the US and Guyanese Governments between 2017 and June 11, 2024. In October last year the US formally submitted an extradition request for the Mohameds. Prior to the indictment the Mohameds were sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in 2024. Azruddin was also embroiled in several local cases involving alleged tax evasion and also linked to the under-declaration of a Lamborghini valued at US$695,000 but declared at US$75,300. ... #### Amanza Walton-Desir vote Walton-Desir of Forward Guyana Movement supported Mohamed’s nomination notwithstanding his indictment in the US. “To me it was not optional. To me in the circumstances, 110,000 persons voted for the party. The party they voted for nominated Mr Mohamed as the Leader of the Opposition and its about respecting the vote of the Guyanese,” Walton-Desir said. For her support, Mohamed noted that Walton-Desir can look forward to being rewarded with selection to Parliamentary committees. WIN and APNU have been at loggerheads about a possible cooperation on a shared parliamentary agenda. With APNU’s Ganesh Mahipaul issuing a statement establishing that talks had broken down and APNU was going it alone as the National Assembly prepared to debate the 2026 Budget.

Guardrails of democracy being kicked down — Lincoln Lewis — Opinion