Dear Editor,
Baseball player Vernon Law’s said, “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, and the lesson afterward.” This quotation is an apt reminder to the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Azruddin Mohamed, that while he will get over this Prem Narine saga, he should use his time in the cell to extract the lesson rather than indulge in regrets.
I offer this advice because, whether we like it or not, Mr. Mohamed is Leader of the Opposition for all of Guyana — PPP, APNU, WIN supporters and everyone else, without exception. He holds a Constitutional Office. But on this occasion, he did not operate like a Leader of the Opposition, which is equivalent to a General, he operated like a Corporal.
A Constitutional Office holder must understand the job description and execute it without fear or favour. This political battle is not, and will never be, personal — not between himself and President Irfaan Ali, and not between himself and Prem Narine. It is a professional contest of ideas against an oppressive government that continues to treat people as patsies and chumps. In 2020 and 2025, President Ali promised betterment, yet food prices have skyrocketed, eating away at what little money people have, while billions pour into the pockets of the PPP’s friends, family and favourites. This is the real battle; not checking out Prem Narine’s street.
The Opposition’s core mission is to oppose the bad policies of the Government, expose it, and convert it into support at the next elections. Mr. Mohamed would do well to study how David Granger and Bharrat Jagdeo — two of Guyana’s most effective Opposition Leaders — functioned and what won them power. Mr. Jagdeo had weekly Press Conferences exposing the APNU; he defined them.
No Leader of the Opposition should be sitting in a car at midnight outside the home of someone who dislikes him. I hope the lesson was well learnt. From all appearances, he was set up, and all Mr. Anil Nandlall is doing today in Court is following the playbook and he is doing a good job at delaying the process to his credit. So be patient Mr. Azruddin Mohamed, you screwed up and you are lucky to be physically well unlike Dr Walter Rodney who did the same thing by advancing to the front line to test a device provided by an Agent of the State and suffered the ultimate consequences.
The Leader of the Opposition is a General, and a General never leads from the front; he sends scouts to gather information. A commander’s value is judgement, coordination and preservation of the command function, not personal combat. The call from a police contact (an Agent of the State) to visit Narine’s street was a set-up no General should execute — reminiscent of Walter Rodney testing a “walkie-talkie” provided by a state agent. The rest is history.
As a reminder, the role requires:
1. Leading parliamentary scrutiny of government policy and debate on major issues. Cost of living and runaway corruption among others. These issues were never properly debated inside the National Assembly because the LOO dropped the ball. Let the lawyers handle the case; concentrate on Parliament, man!
2. Outlining alternative policies. The opposition is the “alternative government.” Mr. Charles Sugrim’s from the WIN Team on their food-production proposals were welcome, but the WIN Team’s 16 Parliamentarians must produce fuller alternatives. We need to hear more from the WIN Parliamentarian what they will do for the Guyanese people when they come to power.
3. Engaging with the people. Here Mr. Mohamed scores full marks; he is the strongest in Guyana at highlighting the people’s plight and finding solutions. Continue doing this and it will earn the movement great points in the people’s memories.
4. Engaging with Government and the Diplomatic Community. Much work remains since this is also a weak link. What is the latest on GECOM? Has the WIN Party approached the Court to explore the ideas on how we can reactivate GECOM?
Mr. Mohamed will likely get bail, but not before November 23, 2026. Mr. Nandlall knows very well that pre-trial bail is legally permissible and common in Guyana, but he has skillfully used the court system for his side — but that is his job, and he does it well. Full kudos to Mr. Nandlall. His primary objective is delay since he knows that law provides for bail.
On the other hand, Mr. Mohamed’s legal team has not matched his skill, and the personal emotion around this issue must stop. The core principle is that the presumption of innocence is the cornerstone of bail, grounded in Guyana’s Bail Act 2022 — the right to personal liberty and innocence until proven guilty.
Be patient, Mr. Mohamed. When you are out, all public engagement must always be daytime operations and with witnesses around. Think of the long game and keep your eyes firmly locked on 2031. You are a General Mr. Azruddin Mohamed, you cannot make emotional mistakes anymore.
Yours faithfully,
Surujdai Juglall
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