THE fallout in the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)-led ‘A Partnership for National Unity’ (APNU) over the omission of PNCR’s strongman Aubrey Norton from the partnership’s list of parliamentarians for the Tenth Parliament is reportedly widening. Sources close to APNU have confirmed that there is a constant war of words regarding young PNCR members who were chosen over Norton; some supporters believe Norton is being given a “wrong deal”.
Norton is a former Member of Parliament who has been one of the many stalwarts of the Robert Corbin-led PNCR. He was initially on the list, but was subsequently replaced by a young member of the PNCR.
One source confirmed that when this change was questioned, it was posited that Norton has served his time in Parliament and it was now time for him to give way to other members.
According to the source, this was not logical, since Norton’s contribution to the PNCR and Parliament over the years has been even more significant than that of PNCR Leader Robert Corbin and some of the others who have found themselves back as MPs for the 10th Parliament.
Another source has aired the suspicion that Robert Corbin is mainly responsible for Norton’s omission from Parliament, since the two have been at loggerheads for several years now.
It is reported that Norton’s supporters in Linden and Plaisance are upset over his omission, since he is believed to be the man that caused APNU to win those two areas in the just concluded general and regional elections.
“Mr Norton was the one who travelled to Linden and talked with our supporters when they were all looking to vote for the PPP. We were going to lose Linden, and it’s him who went there and walk(ed) house to house and talk(ed) to people. He get them to vote for us. Same thing in Plaisance; we were not going to do so well there, but it’s him again. Because he lives there, people supported APNU in Plaisance because of him. So how will they do this?” one supporter asked.
The same supporter also argued that Norton’s omission was a “wicked act”. “They didn’t put him in Parliament because they wanted to get back at him, that’s all. But we will not take this lightly.”
This newspaper understands that APNU’s Leader David Granger attempted to get Norton on the list, but Corbin objected and reportedly noted that he is still the leader of the PNCR and has the final say in who will be the party’s representatives on the APNU list of parliamentarians.
When he assumed the presidential candidacy of the PNCR, Granger reportedly entered into an agreement with Corbin not to challenge the PNCR Leader for his position within the party. Corbin reportedly referred to this agreement during a recent meeting when the issue of Norton’s omission was discussed.
It is the view of some PNCR diehard supporters that Norton was blacklisted after he and the late Winston Murray, along with a few others, had tried to challenge Corbin’s leadership of that party.
According to party officials, there is a major fallout among the PNCR hierarchy, since many are arguing that Norton should continue to represent the PNCR as a member of Parliament in the APNU outfit.
The PNCR supporters have reportedly pledged that if their demand that Norton be included is not acceded to, they will defect from the party, which they claimed has been hijacked by Corbin.
The PNCR supporters are also said to be questioning the omission of Mervyn Williams, another PNCR executive who was on the Winston Murray team that was trying to win the party leadership from Corbin.
Williams is on record in the past for bemoaning the leadership and other schisms within the party.
Only recently, an APNU-aligned news site, ‘One Voice News Network (OVNN)’, chided the composition of the APNU list of parliamentarians.
OVNN said on its site that the APNU list of parliamentarians raises eyebrows for the startling omissions, and reinforces the call by OneVoiceNews for the abolition of the closed list system by all political parties in Guyana.
“It is clear just by a cursory look at this list that several of those selected are mere political hacks and hangers-on, with connections to the King Maker. The closed list system encourages a biased selection of representatives, and many party activists of all parties have been chosen to represent us in Parliament based on relationships with high ranking party officials; while competent, hard working and deserving members are not chosen because of their independence of thought and their lack of relationships with the ‘right people’,” OVNN stated.
It added that “this ugly and undemocratic process must end” as it called on the APNU leadership and all political parties in Guyana to immediately amend their constitutions to abolish the closed list system.
“The recent exclusion of Mr. Aubrey Norton, Nicole Telford and others from the APNU list of representatives is a glaring example of all that is wrong with the system. It is a well known fact that Norton has not had a stellar relationship with PNC leadership, and sources close to the selection process have told OVNN that it was this fact that resulted in his disrespectful and unceremonious omission from the list of representatives. Nicole Telford would have easily been a more effective pick to represent NFA than the ailing Keith Scott, who is still recovering from a recent stroke. Mr. Scott is simply unable to perform at the very high level required of this Parliament, and the fact that he was chosen further reinforces that merit was not a major criteria in the male-dominated, closed door selection process,” posited the online news site.