ANUG accuses Dr. Asha Kissoon of refusing to relinquish joinder seat in Parliament

Dr. Asha Kissoon taking her oath last year April

A New and United Guyana (ANUG) has levelled accusations against Dr. Asha Kissoon, the leader of The New Movement (TNM), for allegedly refusing to vacate her seat in Parliament.

Dr. Kissoon, who was appointed to the National Assembly through the Joinder List following the 2020 General and Regional Elections, is accused of defying the agreement to relinquish her seat to make way for another candidate from the list.

In a statement issued on Saturday, ANUG said that the three political parties that joined their lists agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to share occupation of the seat in Parliament in proportion to the votes earned by each.

“Because the Constitution of Guyana provides for the removal of a Member of Parliament only by his resignation or by his removal by the Representative of his party’s List, it was clearly understood that the Memorandum of Understanding was based on trust and integrity since it would not be enforced in Court. The three parties would have to trust each other.”

After the elections, the three political parties clinched one seat in the National Assembly. Lenox Shuman of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) occupied the seat for the first two and a half years and was elected Deputy Speaker of the House.

In April of last year, the TNM leader took her oath and was expected to resign from her seat in November 2023. She was also elected Deputy Speaker.

“However, Dr. Asha Kissoon has now held that seat for more than twice her permitted allocation under the arrangement of trust set out in the Memorandum of Understanding. She has so far refused to relinquish her seat and remains an imposter in possession of the seat as a Member of Parliament against the will of the electorate as a result of her breach of trust, and has not committed in writing to ANUG to any timeline whatsoever to demit office.

Her single verbal and informal promise to vacate office on 29th February 2024, three months late, has now apparently also been breached by Dr. Kissoon.”

To this end, ANUG called on Dr. Kissoon to do the right thing.

“It is regrettable that such circumstances have arisen, further undermining the confidence of the Guyanese people in third parties. ANUG reaffirms its commitment to integrity and transparency.”