A Guyanese businessman facing potentially lengthy US prison time has been elected as the country's opposition leader, with many speculating that he won in part due to a desire for change from the long-serving ruling party. Azruddin Mohamed, 38, and his father Nazar, were indicted on federal charges of gold smuggling and money laundering in Florida last year, sparking widespread concern about government corruption in oil-rich Guyana.
Mohamed's rise to power is all the more remarkable given that he formed a political party just six months ago. The We Invest in Nationhood party (Win) has quickly become the second-largest party in parliament, securing Mohamed's election despite ongoing US efforts to extradite him on the charges. A magistrate's court is currently hearing arguments for his extradition.
Mohamed and his family have been among Guyana's largest gold buyers and exporters, but their fortunes took a significant hit when the US Treasury Department sanctioned them last year over allegations of smuggling more than 22,000 pounds of gold to the US and evading millions in taxes. The case has raised questions about the role of government corruption in Guyana's economy.
The opposition leader-elect has vowed to serve the people of this country, stating that "a person is innocent until proven guilty." However, his election has also been met with criticism from some quarters, including the house speaker, who described himself as being in a "difficult position" due to having to oversee the appointment of a fugitive. Despite these concerns, Mohamed was elected by 16 lawmakers from Win and one lawmaker from another party, securing his victory.
Mohamed's father was also implicated in the charges, with the US Treasury Department sanctioning him alongside Azruddin for allegedly smuggling gold and evading taxes. The family's businesses have been shuttered and their commercial bank accounts frozen since the sanctions were announced.
As Mohamed takes on the role of opposition leader, he will face significant challenges from western countries and civil society groups who accuse authorities of delaying a parliamentary session to allow his election. The ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) is likely to be opposed by WIN, with many speculating that Mohamed's rise to power is in part due to the party's struggles.
Mohamed's rise to power is all the more remarkable given that he formed a political party just six months ago. The We Invest in Nationhood party (Win) has quickly become the second-largest party in parliament, securing Mohamed's election despite ongoing US efforts to extradite him on the charges. A magistrate's court is currently hearing arguments for his extradition.
Mohamed and his family have been among Guyana's largest gold buyers and exporters, but their fortunes took a significant hit when the US Treasury Department sanctioned them last year over allegations of smuggling more than 22,000 pounds of gold to the US and evading millions in taxes. The case has raised questions about the role of government corruption in Guyana's economy.
The opposition leader-elect has vowed to serve the people of this country, stating that "a person is innocent until proven guilty." However, his election has also been met with criticism from some quarters, including the house speaker, who described himself as being in a "difficult position" due to having to oversee the appointment of a fugitive. Despite these concerns, Mohamed was elected by 16 lawmakers from Win and one lawmaker from another party, securing his victory.
Mohamed's father was also implicated in the charges, with the US Treasury Department sanctioning him alongside Azruddin for allegedly smuggling gold and evading taxes. The family's businesses have been shuttered and their commercial bank accounts frozen since the sanctions were announced.
As Mohamed takes on the role of opposition leader, he will face significant challenges from western countries and civil society groups who accuse authorities of delaying a parliamentary session to allow his election. The ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) is likely to be opposed by WIN, with many speculating that Mohamed's rise to power is in part due to the party's struggles.
Can you believe it?! Azruddin Mohamed just became Guyana's opposition leader despite being wanted by the US on federal charges 
! I mean, I know some people might be thinking "wait a minute, isn't he like, wanted for smuggling gold and stuff?" 
But honestly, I think this is kinda cool? Like, who wouldn't want to shake things up in a country with corruption problems? And Mohamed seems legit, he's all about serving the people and proving his innocence until proven guilty 
. Of course, there are still some doubts floating around, like how did he even manage to form a party and get elected so quickly? 
But you gotta hand it to him, he's definitely got spirit 
!
just read about this guy Azruddin Mohamed who's like literally wanted for gold smuggling and money laundering in the US and he just became opposition leader in Guyana... can you even 
? I mean, I guess people are looking for change from the long-serving ruling party but dude has a federal indictment hanging over his head. And to make matters worse, his dad is also charged 
. It's crazy how quickly politics can get messy. The fact that he won despite being wanted by another country raises more questions than answers... what's next? 
He must've won over a lot of people with his 'innocent until proven guilty' vibes 
". And good luck with that parliamentary session drama... I'm sure it'll be a real nail-biter 
.
. But at the same time, you can't deny that he's tapped into some people's desire for change, especially with all the corruption allegations against the ruling party 
. It's going to be interesting to see how this plays out, especially with the US still trying to extradite him on those charges 
.
It's like, what's next? Are we gonna start voting for felons left and right? 
. Anyway, I guess we'll have to wait and see how things play out 
. One thing for sure, though: Azruddin Mohamed is definitely a wild card 
.
. what's really going on here? is it just a desire for change from the ruling party or something more? 
... i mean, i get it, people wanna change and all that, but 16 lawmakers just swooping in on him like that? 
. But hey, at least he's promising to serve the people, even if his "innocent until proven guilty" act is kinda rich coming from a guy facing 22,000 pounds of gold smuggling charges 
. And I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that his party just happened to form six months ago 
...
But at the same time, you can't deny that he was a popular choice and many people in Guyana are fed up with the old regime. Maybe it's time for some fresh faces to come into power?
Who knows what the future holds?
. One thing's for sure, though - we need more transparency and accountability in our government, especially when it comes to corruption 
.
. And let's be real, who wouldn't want change after the PPP has been in power for ages? 
But seriously though, this election has sparked some legit concerns about corruption in Guyana's economy and how it affects people like Azruddin and his family 
I mean, six months ago he formed a party and now he's the 2nd largest party in parliament? 
But I guess that just fueled his desire for change and he's now leading the charge against the long-serving ruling party 
