–potential leaders question each other’s competence

LIKE the crowd that surrounds a ring to observe an ecstatic exchange of punches, Guyanese have been watching on as the ‘heavyweights’ of the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) ‘battle’ each other fiercely to stay in the race for leader of the party.

Almost like a “Royal Rumble,” contestants for the seat of leader have been trying to “toss each other out” through acts of verbal denigration, which have been reported widely since the announcement of the party’s plans to host its long-overdue Biennial Congress on December 11, 2021.

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Joseph Harmon; PNC/R stalwart, Aubrey Norton and son-in-law of the party’s founder, Dr. Richard Van-West Charles, all backed by their various supporters, have been hurling criticisms at each other and, to some extent, even questioning the credibility of the upcoming process.

Absent amidst the internal dissidence is the party’s leader, former President, David Granger, who “hung up his gloves” temporarily in September, stating: “I did this because I was on the go for over 10 years.”
Though not “stepping down” as leader, there has been no official report of his intention to contest the upcoming PNC/R elections.

This is much unlike the posture of the listed candidates, who have been campaigning vibrantly across various social media platforms and even visiting the party’s known stronghold areas to make a case for the position of leader.

In their pursuit of leadership, candidates have not only outlined their plans for the party, they have also launched verbal attacks at colleague party members, questioning or criticising their position, competence and capabilities.

Last Wednesday, a statement from Dr. Charles’ campaign team related concerns over the free and fair execution of the party’s electoral process.
According to the statement, General Secretary of the PNC/R, Amna Ally, has to recuse herself from the election process for there to be fairness.

“Ms. Ally continues to misuse and abuse the office of GS by immersing herself in the election campaign, openly taking sides and supporting one candidate, when she should be professional and desist from compromising her office,” the statement related.

Dr. Charles’ campaign team further added: “Ally’s behaviour is not only untoward, unethical and unacceptable but it also goes against the principles of the party.”
Ally’s role, according to the candidate’s team, is to ensure that the upcoming process is free, fair, transparent and represents the true and legitimate will of its members.

HAUNTING
Dr. Charles’ calls appeared similar to that of various stakeholders in 2020, when the country was faced with a General and Regional Elections which was protracted reportedly because of the actions of the then governing A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), a coalition in which the PNC/R comprised the majority.

Having overcome the five-month long General and Regional Elections, stakeholders will now look on as the PNC/R addresses claims from within about the integrity of its own electoral process.

In dealing with this, the membership of the party will also have to examine the comments of senior party member and Parliamentarian, Roysdale Forde, who, in a statement which purportedly contradicted that of Norton, said: “Essential to consolidating the gains of the People’s National Congress/Reform is recognising that the PNC is not a tribe. It is a political party in which all the citizens irrespective of race must know and feel that their interests are protected.”

According to a report from Demerara Waves, Forde said that a leader who is perceived to be divisive could not advance the cause of the PNC/R supporters and could not much more advance the cause and the interests of the people of Guyana as a whole.

“We must not use statements, we must not use euphemisms, we must not use the word ‘grassroots’ to mean a return or an acknowledgement that the People’s National Congress Reform is a Black people party. It is not a Black people party. It has not, it has never been and it must never be.  A leader that is tribal, a leader that is tribalist cannot advance the cause of the people that support the People’s National Congress,” Forde said.

Harmon also took aim at the issue, noting at the launch of his campaign: “The PNC is not just a Black people thing. It would be political suicide to ignore the youth and we are going to dedicate more resources to that.”
According to a Demerara Waves report, Norton reportedly frowned on Forde’s apparent warning to avoid anyone who was issuing a “grassroots” appeal, as that could see the party retaining or acquiring the image of “Black people party.”

“I find it laughable but mischievous that Mr. Roysdale Forde insinuated that the PNC/R under my leadership would turn the party into a Black party. If Mr. Forde was in the PNC/R long enough he would have known that Mr. Winston Murray was an Indo-Guyanese who Aubrey Norton supported for Leader of the PNC/R,” he said.