Nadir re-elected Speaker, Mahadeo deputy

The 13th Parliament of Guyana was officially convened on Monday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), marking the first sitting since the September 1 General and Regional Elections. The session saw the re-election of Mr. Manzoor Nadir as Speaker of the National Assembly and the election of Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo as Deputy Speaker.
The sitting began with the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, inviting nominations for the post of Speaker. Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips nominated Mr. Nadir, with the motion seconded by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Ms. Gail Teixeira. With no other nominees presented, Nadir was returned unopposed and subsequently took the oath of office as Speaker of the 13th Parliament.
Mr. Nadir previously served as Speaker from September 2020 to 2025 and brings extensive parliamentary experience to the role, having first been elected to the National Assembly in 1992 as the Leader of the United Force party. His re-election underscores continued confidence in his leadership and parliamentary stewardship.
For the position of Deputy Speaker, two nominations were presented — Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo of the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and Ms. Tabitha Sarabo-Halley of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, who was nominated by her colleague Natasha Singh-Lewis. Following a vote, Dr. Mahadeo was elected Deputy Speaker by majority, securing 36 votes to Sarabo-Halley’s 17.
The convening of the 13th Parliament follows the dissolution of the previous Parliament earlier this year in preparation for national elections. The new parliamentary composition sees the PPP/C retaining government with 36 seats, WIN holding 16, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) securing 12, and the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) earning one seat.
Monday’s inaugural sitting also included the swearing-in of newly elected Members of Parliament. In keeping with Article 69(1) of the Constitution of Guyana, the President appointed the time and venue for the first meeting of the new Parliament, with the ACCC once again serving as the official venue for the National Assembly.
The re-election of Speaker Nadir and the appointment of Dr. Mahadeo as Deputy Speaker mark the beginning of a new legislative chapter, setting the stage for the 13th Parliament’s deliberations and national policymaking over the next term.