As a child, Hadiyyah Mohamed dreamed of becoming president. Today, she is expected to take a seat in the National Assembly. At 24, she is set to become its youngest member, with an opposition portfolio that will put her among those questioning how Guyana manages its oil, minerals and forests.
Mohamed, the sister of Leader of the Opposition, Azruddin Mohamed, will fill the seat vacated by We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) parliamentarian Dr Andre Lewis, who resigned on October 2. She told Kiskadee Watch she will serve as Shadow Minister of Natural Resources and intends to keep ministers and other officials “on their toes” over how the country’s wealth is managed and who gets to share in it.
She traces her interest in politics to watching her parents and siblings give back to their communities. What stayed with her, she said, was the idea that people should have a fair chance regardless of race, religion, gender, income or where they live. Her childhood ambition helped draw her towards political studies, and she now wants to bring that same concern about opportunity to Parliament.
“As a youth, as a female, as a Guyanese, I am proud and humbled to stand up and use my voice,” Mohamed said.
She spent the past six years in the United Kingdom, gaining experience in journalism, film and documentary production, advocacy, and parliamentary and governmental affairs. She earned a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours in Journalism from Edinburgh Napier University and a Master of Letters with Merit in Global Social and Political Thought from the University of St Andrews.
Mohamed said she plans to pursue a PhD alongside her parliamentary duties. Her academic interests include postcolonial governance, political accountability, corruption, media representation and Guyana’s social and economic development.
Those interests came together in her documentary work on Guyana’s Wai Wai Indigenous community. Mohamed said the project grew out of her interest in cultural preservation, Indigenous representation and what she called “decolonising knowledge”. Through journalism and advocacy, she said, she has sought to bring underrepresented voices and issues into public discussion. She also founded Precious Angels Charity to raise awareness of Rett syndrome, a rare neurological disorder.
The natural resources portfolio will give her a place to pursue questions she says have long mattered to her. How are revenues from oil and mining being used? Which communities are seeing the benefits? And what protections are in place for the people who depend on the country’s forests and rivers?
“Guyana’s natural heritage, biodiversity, forests, rivers and Indigenous communities must never become collateral damage in the pursuit of economic growth,” Mohamed said.
She said her work will focus on accountability in the extractive industries, environmental protection, climate resilience and how decisions about resources are made. She wants to scrutinise whether the benefits of extraction are being shared fairly and whether the policies governing it will serve Guyanese over the long term.
“I represent a generation that must not only inherit the decisions made today but also have a meaningful voice in shaping them for a better tomorrow,” she said.
She said she sees her role on the opposition benches as an opportunity to strengthen democratic institutions, defend constitutional freedoms and press for transparency. She also voiced concern about what she described as an erosion of democracy, alleging that her brother has faced injustices, threats and attempts on his life. She said she fears the precedent that would set for others who speak out.
She also took up a question already being asked about her own entry into Parliament. Mohamed said critics have called it a “family affair” and portrayed her and her brother’s involvement in WIN as the beginnings of a political dynasty.
She pointed to Cheddi and Janet Jagan, Derek Jagan’s family and political associations, and Indra and Navin Chandarpal as examples from Guyana’s political history. She also referred to Bharrat Jagdeo, Robert Persaud and Collin Croal, and to Attorney General Anil Nandlall and his brother, in arguing that family ties and close political relationships have featured across successive administrations. She cited the United States, Canada, Singapore, India and Jamaica as countries where political families have also been part of public life.
“Every public official must be judged by their qualifications, conduct, integrity, performance and accountability,” she said.
Mohamed said family ties warrant scrutiny and argued that the same standards should apply across party lines. She said her surname tells voters little about how she will do the job. The record she wants them to look at is whether she shows up, represents constituents, holds the government accountable and defends democratic principles.
“My brother and I may share a family, but we also share a love for our country and a determination to see Guyana fulfil its potential,” she said.
Mohamed said she brings her own academic and professional experience, convictions and ambitions to the seat. She described public office as a responsibility to serve and said she wants a Guyana where people from every background have the opportunity to prosper, participate and contribute to the country’s future.
“I intend to be judged on the substance of my contribution, the quality of my work and the principles I uphold,” she said.
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