…Williams says party alive, well and active

By Ariana Gordon
AMID concerns that the 59-year-old People’s National Congress (PNC) has lost its sting, its Chairman Basil Williams maintains that the Sophia-headquartered political party is “alive and well” and “active all over the country.”But activists and social commentators believe that the political organisation needs to be retooled and return to the principles on which it was founded. Speaking at the party’s first press conference since the installation of the APNU+AFC coalition government, of which the PNC is the largest party, Williams told reporters who questioned the party’s relative inactivity that the party is a “mass-based party.” He said “the work of the party has been ongoing; the general secretary, assistant general secretary and I as chairman have been going out.”

Williams said work is ongoing within the party’s groups, districts and all regions and does not believe the vibrancy of the party that is now 59 years old is dying. “ All of our members are doing what they have to do…I don’t believe in a coalition with six parties that one would expect one party would try to project itself at the expense of the other members of the coalition.”
He asserted that without any contradiction, the public can see affirmatively that a major political party such as the PNC, founded by the late Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham will “just disappear.” “It is a great party; this great party of ours will be around for another 50 years,” said Williams who is also Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs.
Notwithstanding persistent questions on what appears to be a significantly less vocal PNC, Williams maintained that as a political party within the +AFC coalition government, the PNC has to be cautious in its approach to issues. “…being in a coalition it would be incongruence to assert ourselves in contradiction with the other parties—we are servicing our members…we don’t have any members as far as I know who will believe that the party doesn’t exist.”
Additionally, the PNC chairman said President David Granger who is also Leader of the party travels the country and speaks with citizens. That he said is also a representation of the PNC. “When we go out, we sometimes go out in both capacities – as government officials and Members of Parliament (MPs), MPs [to] do party work,” noted Williams.
He said there is a thin line between being a Minister of the Government and a Member of Parliament or party representative. The chairman explained that MPs are expected to act in the interest of the party which they represent. Speaking on the issue, General Secretary of the PNC, Oscar Clarke, said oftentimes President Granger is interpreted to be speaking as President only, but he is in fact speaking on behalf of the party.
POLITICAL CLIMATE
Asked to analyse the current political climate here and governance, Williams said, “The coalition is alive, well and healthy.” He noted that while the coalition is working in the best interest of the nation, it ought not to be felt that the individual parties are not entitled to a difference of opinion.
“We don’t have any robots here,” Williams added, while noting that democracy is at work. “My view of the coalition government is that it is healthy and on track with its manifesto proposals…we inherited a lot of negative things [including debt] and we are in the process of restoring the rule of law…things are happening,” he added. The PNC chairman noted that the coalition government is “committed to democracy and inclusivity” and will continue to work in the interest of all Guyanese.
Meanwhile, when contacted for a comment on the perception of the PNC since the change of administration, social activist Ramon Gaskin told the Guyana Chronicle that while the party may be perceived to be quiet, the President represents the party on every occasion he speaks.
He, like Clarke and Williams, said the “President speaks as the leader of the PNC and APNU and leader of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.” Gaskin does not believe that the party which has survived 59 years will be easily faded. “They will not die, they enjoy the support of a large constituency,” he said of the PNC. On the other hand, trade unionist Lincoln Lewis believes that the PNC today does not reflect what he understands to be the philosophy of the party as intended by its founder.
“There are times I ask whether the party as an organisation understands what ought to be its role in society,” he told the Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday. He however disagrees with the party’s chairman and general secretary who stated that utterances and actions of President Granger are reflective of the party. “The party and the government are two different organisations. The role of the leader of the government and the role of leader of the party have distinct differences. In a coalition government, the party will assist in shaping the policies of the government.”
Lewis asserted that when President Granger speaks as President he speaks as the head of an executive of which many political parties are part. He said the move by the PNC to have a press briefing just before its 19th Delegates’ Congress to be held on August 26 to 28 is encouraging, but believes that the party “has to come out and identify itself with the views and desires of its members.” “The PNC is the major party in the coalition and nowhere have I seen the face of the PNC in what is taking place– activities of this current government. I see persons, but the face of the PNC as it relates to the philosophy of the PNC is absent.” Lewis opined that the hopes of the party’s supporters have been “shattered,” noting that “people were expecting more from this government…significant amount of votes that the coalition rode into victory with came from the PNC…everyday people are complaining about what is taking place, they have to start listening to the people.” He said the PNC needs to be retooled to be effective.