Ashamed of Party Name, Un-affiliated!
OK seriously again:  APNU?  Regardless of which side of the fence you prefer, the name PNC used to stand for something.

What’s more, people could actually say the name.  It rolls off the tongue easily – PNC.  But APNU – what a mouthful!  The Brigadier seems to love these tongue twisters.  But why change to APNU which is so nondescript, while hastily abandoning PNC, a name with the type of immediate brand recognition in Guyana that every organization and business would give its eye teeth for.

The only answer that makes any sense:  the Brigadier is so ashamed of running under the PNC banner he’s opted to disown the legacy of the People’s National Congress and its founder the late L.F.S. Burnham.

We touched briefly on the Brigadier’s attempt to dissociate himself from his actual identity in an earlier piece titled, The Brigadier’s FLUTE, in which it was noted that the pseudonyms are not working. 

To follow through with the FLUTE analogy, it’s like the Pied Piper turning up and claiming his name is Engelbert Humperdinck.  The public is perplexed and the party has been embarrassed. 

Every day it gets clearer that the Brigadier hasn’t been able to make the transition from the more strictly defined role of a soldier to the broader vision of a political leader.

The approach employed in the current misadventure is rooted in reverting to symbolically donning the familiar camouflage fatigues of a long past era in the military.  Calculating that his PNC legacy is a burden which will only raise more questions down the road, he reaches for a way out.  His solution: camouflage and diversionary tactics.

The adjacent optical illusion is like the name change machinations of the Brigadier.  Is it a duck or is it a rabbit?  Is it the same old PNC or is it an APNU –some previously unheard of species.

How do you deal with the diversionary feigning in one direction while moving in another?   Like the “ducabbit” it can be a bit disorienting at first, but sooner or later the visual illusion pops out at you.  In the interim, a good rule of thumb would be: if it waddles like a duck, and it quacks like a duck; then let’s call it a duck rather than a rabbit (or an APNU).

This is not the first name change for the PNC.  Previous attempts have tacitly acknowledged a need to make some amends.  The notion that the Party had reformed was telegraphed in the change to PNCR (PNC Reform).   And there was another change to PNCR-1G (which some said really meant PNC-RIG).  These changes were more or less tinkering around the edges to soften the image of the Party.  The core PNC remained while the old symbol of the broom gave way to the softer image of a palm tree.

The Brigadier’s name change, however, (whether it be called a name change or not) is the first attempt at completely abandoning the PNC identity.   The rank opportunism of this move is only trumped by its political naivety.  With the PNC constituting 98.5% of the group, Granger is giving up the PNC name for the appearance of being a more inclusive party while distancing himself from the PNC legacy.

For this misadventure to have been worthwhile, at the end of the day it had to deliver more APNU votes.  But the voters targeted by the name change will see this as another ploy – although that is a moot point.  There is no upside here.  On the other hand, the disenchantment among the core base of party’s supporters who see themselves as PNC and take pride in being PNC will result in votes withheld and defections.

The AFC has picked up on this disaffection among rank and file PNC members peeved at the APNU name change and has begun reaching out to them.  In the adjacent AFC hand-out, the party is presenting itself as an alternative to the mourners grieving over the death of the PNC

In another development, the Stabroek News has recently reported that PNCR-1G youth leader Denton Osborne has defected.   He cites dissatisfaction with the APNU leadership structure failing to create space for youth.  
In a move that speaks volumes on the APNU name issue (and puts a huge hole in Granger’s touted youth connection) Osborne has registered his intent to contest the elections in Region 10.  Mr. Osborne has chosen a very revealing name for his new party:  the Guyanese Youth Congress.  So much has been said with this name about the other one.
The name issue is just the latest of Mr. Granger’s follies.  He’s not  only not getting traction with the general electorate (including youth); he’s not getting traction with long standing senior members of the party and can scarcely fill a room with them.  He’s turned to former military associates to run his campaign while seasoned old guard PNC campaigners are on the sideline.

The APNU name change is not the master stroke Granger had hoped for.  Statements have been released that the name is not a name change as Granger looks for room to manoeuvre.  Does he have the fortitude to resist the backlash in he own Party?