65 MPs Sworn In at Arthur Chung Conference Centre

November 3 2025

The dome of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) was filled with anticipation earlier today as 65 newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) took their Oath of Office before re-elected Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir.

The ceremony marked the official opening of Guyana’s 13th Parliament, following the September 1 General and Regional Elections, held in accordance with Article 69 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana.

The government benches were dominated by 36 representatives from the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Among the new and returning government MPs were Toshao and Vice Chairperson of the National Toshaos Council (NTC), Sonia Latchman; Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Steven Jacobs; Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation, Zulfikar Ally; Minister of Labour, Manpower and Planning, Keoma Griffith; and former Region Six Vice Chairperson, Zamal Hussain.

Also joining the government’s ranks are former APNU member James Bond; Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Vanessa Benn; Chief Investment Officer at the Guyana Office for Investment, Dr. Peter Ramsaroop; and Lennox Shuman — each bringing distinct expertise to Parliament.

Leading the administration are Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, SC, and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira.

They are supported by several key ministers, including Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat; Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha; Minister of Housing, Collin Croal; Minister of Education, Sonia Parag; Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar; Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr; Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Pauline Sukhai; and Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand.

Other ministers include Dr. Frank Anthony (Health), Vindhya Persaud (Human Services and Social Security), Juan Edghill (Public Works), Hugh Todd (Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation), Susan Rodrigues (Tourism, Industry and Commerce), Kwame McCoy (Office of the Prime Minister), Oneidge Walrond (Home Affairs), Sarah Browne-Shadeek (Amerindian Affairs), and Mandalall Ramraj (within the Ministry of Public Works).

Non-elected ministers and returning MPs include Sanjeev Datadin, Seepaul Narine, Anand Persaud, Bhagmattie Veerasammy, and Dr. Jennifer Westford, while Thandi McAllister and Mischka White-Griffith will serve as parliamentary secretaries.

Meanwhile, 29 Opposition MPs were sworn in — 16 from the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Party, 12 from A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), and one from the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM).

Monday’s sitting formally ushered in a new legislative term under the PPP/C administration, which secured 36 seats in the National Assembly following its victory at the polls.