MINISTER of State Joseph Harmon has “respectfully declined” a nomination put forward for him to contest the post of Vice-Chairman for the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) at its 19th Biennial Congress which begins today.In a statement posted on his ‘Minister of State’ Facebook page, the Minister of State said he is “humbled by those who nominated him to contest the position of Vice-Chairman of the People’s National Congress Reform.”
According to Harmon, his post as Minister of State requires his full attention to matters of the coalition government. “…thus, he would be unable to give the attention required to the position of Vice-Chairman of the PNCR.” He is nevertheless humbled by the confidence that has been placed in him by the nominators. The Minister of State said notwithstanding the fact that he has declined nomination for the post of Vice-Chairman within the PNCR, he will continue to serve in the interest of the party “at other levels of party engagement.”
The 59-year-old party has two Vice-Chairman posts and nominations for the positions include Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence; Minister of Health, Dr George Norton; Aubrey Norton, James Bond, Dawn Hastings, Christopher Jones, Winston Felix, Beni Raymond and Clement Corlette.
The current Vice-Chairs are Volda Lawrence and Dr George Norton.
President David Granger, leader of the party will head into the conference unopposed. Other persons nominated for key posts include current Chairman Basil Williams and Lurlene Nestor for Chairperson, while Ronald Bulkan and Annette Ferguson have been nominated to serve as treasurer.
The Biennial Delegates’ Congress will be held under the theme, “PNCR-Vanguard of a Green Economy,” in keeping with President Granger’s push for a green Guyana. Over 500 delegates and several hundred observers from all 10 administrative regions of the country; the North America region; and the United Kingdom are expected to attend the Congress.