Concerns about voter irregularity at upcoming PNCR/APNU Congress

CONCERNS about voter irregularity plagues yet another PNCR=APNU Congress and it seems the assault of women is becoming habitual as Old Kai recalls the physical assault of an elderly woman in the lead-up to the party’s last Congress.Old Kai was never in doubt as to what will play out at the upcoming PNCR Congress which is ironically being held under the theme, “PNCR for national unity governance and development.”
In this day and age, the party continues to be plagued with accusations of rigging elections, as was the cry of many at its last congress and its congress before that.
Surprise, surprise; we are now being told by the media that when questioned on concerns currently about the non-issuance of party cards to certain members, which is what will entitle them to vote, the party said ‘no comment.’
This no doubt will raise serious concerns and it will seriously question their commitment to democratic practices and norms, as some are of the opinion that the results of voting has already been finalised internally, before the process has commenced. With the party’s rich tradition of rigging general elections, complemented by similar concerns at past congresses, Old Kai fears this may be a distinct possibility.
Then there is the controversial suspension of MP Vanessa Kissoon, from Linden, who reportedly is supporting the Aubrey Norton faction, which will challenge Granger and his group for the leadership of the party. This was made more obvious as the reason for Kissoon’s suspension was an altercation she had with General Secretary Oscar Clarke, in which she claims that she was assaulted. Clarke, who is a member of the Granger/Corbin faction, was surprisingly not sanctioned in the sordid affair. That is ‘national unity’ for you, PNCR style.
It appears that party members falling out of favour with the leadership and being assaulted at Congress Place is becoming the norm; let us not forget the fate which befell Haslyn Parris a few years ago. Then there was also the physical assault of an elderly woman by a member of the party’s youth arm at its Region 4 conference in 2010. Addressing the Conference before it had concluded, PNCR leader Robert Corbin was quoted as stating that the incident was “…contrary to the well-known policy of the party,” which is totally against any form of violence and abuse against women in society.
Old Kai wonders if the party’s position and policy on women has changed today, after not only the assault of Vanessa Kissoon, but her subsequent suspension.
It therefore comes as no surprise that former leading member of the PNCR, Dr. Faith Harding, has lost faith in the PNCR and by extension, APNU. The former PNC Minister of Public Service was quoted in a Guyana Times article on June 20, 2014, as saying that she would decline any attempt at reconciliation, given “the current group that is managing the party.”
Dr. Harding, who was an Executive Member and a Leadership Candidate of the party at its last congress, had stated that the objectives being pursued by the party, at the moment, were not in the interest of Guyana’s overall development.
She is not the only one who apparently feels this way, as yesterday I noted the comments of Linden resident and PNCR supporter Brenda Bowman, who said she has lost hope in the party and also had a message for the leadership,  “I just want Mr. Granger to know that Region 10 doesn’t trust him anymore. He’s playing politics with people’s lives in Linden and the country on the whole. I think he needs to get a grip of himself.”
What all this does is confirm that the PNC/R leadership is dead-set in its ways, and would go to any lengths to sideline any opposition of its machinations. These are the very people who want us to place the future of Guyana into their hands once again.