IT has been close to three months since People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R), General-Secretary, Geeta Chandan-Edmond, has been seen at a public event hosted by the party or its umbrella, the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).

Chandan-Edmond, in August, went on leave to reportedly deal with personal matters but has since then not been heard of. Sources close to the PNC/R, speaking on the condition of anonymity, alleged that Chandan-Edmond, who replaced PNC veteran, Amna Ally earlier this year as PNC/R General Secretary, has been forced out of her position.

Based on reports, Chandan-Edmond, an attorney and former magistrate, does not see ‘eye-to-eye’ with the positions and policies of party leader, Aubrey Norton and their relation prior to her going on leave was “rocky”.
Several party members had told this publication that Norton does not enjoy the support of all the Opposition members in Parliament, and his leadership style has alienated many from the party.

Several employees at Congress Place, in recent months, have either resigned or parted ways with the PNC/R’s headquarters for other reasons.
In May of this year, Misenga Jones, the woman who challenged the use of votes from the recount of the March 2, 2020 elections as the basis for the declaration of the results, was fired from her position as office clerk at Congress Place, PNC/R Headquarters, Sophia, Georgetown.

According to a friend and associate of Jones, who is familiar with the situation at Congress Place, her firing stemmed from the behaviour of a PNC member who was very confrontational to international observers during the attempt to rig the 2020 elections.

Also, in February, Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton had written Vishnu Persaud, the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of GECOM, to inform him that he had selected Carol Smith Joseph as a replacement for Amna Ally as Chief Scrutineer for the APNU+AFC.

Carol Smith Joseph is currently before the court on electoral fraud charges, as she was a central figure in the Coalition’s alleged attempt to rig the March 2, 2020 General Elections.