Controversy surrounds election of Granger, 65, as PNCR presidential candidate

– in wake of post-voting irregularities bicker
THE controversy over the race for the PNCR presidential candidacy seems to be heading for the worst with several claims of voting irregularities at last Saturday’s special congress at the party’s Sophia headquarters, Congress Place.
This development can cause further disunity within the main opposition party with the potential to explode.
Sixty-five-year-old David Granger was elected from a list of five nominees to become the party’s presidential candidate for the much anticipated 2011 general elections. After three recounts, it was finally decided that Granger was the candidate with the largest block of cast votes-279- in his favour, edging out former Finance Minister Carl Greenidge to win the PNCR’s presidential nomination.

The other PNCR presidential hopefuls – attorneys-at-law Basil Williams and James Bond and Dr. Faith Harding – had very poor showings at the polls, which sources say were fraught with post-voting controversy, despite rumours to the contrary.

In a true flip-flop, the first announcement put Carl Greenidge as the winner. The different announcement that came after the recount raised eyebrows and added suspicion about irregularities, and party leader Robert Corbin’s sponsorship of Granger.

Candidates have, before yesterday, accused Corbin of giving Granger the edge by his direct actions, which saw the candidate accompanying the leader on meetings and special assignments.

A senior party executive described Saturday’s flip-flop as the tactic to ensure Granger was placed as the preferred candidate. With this (Corbin) faction supporting Granger, the other nominees were left seemingly disgruntled over the election process.

There are even reports surfacing about a wad of 20 ballots being added at the instance of the first recount, which gave Granger the edge over Greenidge. The Guyana Chronicle is also pursuing a lead about a remaining 200 blank ballots which were reportedly not used. This has given rise to the question of the number of delegates present at the congress and whether any of those delegates present were denied their voting rights.

Earlier in the day, dozens of delegates were reportedly rejected when they turned up at Congress Place to participate in the selection process. A source told the Chronicle that the delegates were rejected because they arrived late at the congress.

According to poll officials at the elections, Earl John and Sandra Jones, there was a total of 827 ballots.

Of this number, they said 160 were not utilised. Of the 666 votes cast, two were spoilt, and one was not counted.
Granger garnered a total of 279 votes; Greenidge, 264; Williams, 88; Harding, 20; and Bond, 13.
Leader of the PNCR Robert Corbin, speaking immediately after the declaration of results, said: “Allow me to express thanks to Earl John and Sandra Jones for what has been a very challenging experience. I would also like to congratulate the party’s Accreditation Committee headed by Clarissa Riehl…”

“We will make sure that the elections campaign is fully energised…all candidates will be involved…we are all winners in the PNCR,” said Corbin, who offered his congratulations to both Granger and Greenidge.

“There is room for all of us to work together and make our party the fighting force it once was,” he said.

In giving his victory remarks, Granger said, quoting a popular hymn in part: “The strife is o’er; the party won! This evening I am overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude to the persons who helped me to come this far; the persons who helped the party to make this landmark decision.”
He thanked Corbin for helping him make it thus far, saying that it was his (Corbin’s) decision, which went contrary to the flow of politics in Guyana and the Caribbean, to announce that he would not seek nomination to the presidential candidacy.

In an interview with members of the media after his ‘victory’ speech, Granger said: “We are now going to close down my campaign headquarters and merge it with that of the party, and we will start the national campaign right away.”

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