LEADER of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, has faced significant backlash for his leadership of the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R), which appears to be disintegrating, judging from its recent showing on Nomination Day.

The party’s support has evidently dwindled significantly even in stronghold areas such as Georgetown and Linden, where the numbers of supporters were paltry in comparison to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C)’s “sea of red.”

Moved by what he observed on Monday, PNC/R member James Bond criticised Chairman of the APNU and Leader of the People’s National Congress/Reform, Aubrey Norton, for being slothful and abandoning the party’s grassroots supporters.

“Let me be on record today, April 18, 2023, in saying I’ve never seen, in my 10-plus years of political life, a lazier bunch! I entered politics seeing comrades work; today, the level of activism and militancy is ZERO!

“It’s a shame that under the leader who symbolises the grassroots, those who are supposed to work with him have abandoned the grassroots. Not to worry, though. Long live the PNC,” Bond said on his Facebook page.

Norton has faced increased scrutiny as more members of his party have spoken out against him. Some have accused him of being too authoritarian and not listening to the concerns of his colleagues.

Perhaps the PNC/R had very good reason to overlook him for the leadership role on several occasions in the past.

The challenge for the PNC is for the party to break out of the current mold and to collectively demand better of its leadership, instead of resorting to attacks against persons, especially Afro-Guyanese who choose to seek better.

On Nomination Day, former Mayor of Georgetown, Patricia Chase-Green; former PNC/R Councillor Trichria Richards; former independent city councillor for the Albouystown/Charlestown constituency and popular radio announcer Malcolm Ferreira, and many others joined the PPP/C ahead of the Local Government Elections.

The crossover of Chase-Green and other prominent figures has been seen as a major blow to the Opposition, which has since resorted to a campaign to discredit their former members’ credibility.

During the live broadcast, the President expressed his disappointment at the negative comments made by some leaders in politics, particularly calling out Norton for his statements of “great cause for concern.”

“I’ve been reading comments from the Leader of the Opposition, someone who speaks about democracy and inclusiveness, and some of the statements that are attributed to him and that he’s making are of great cause for concern.

“For example, using comments like money as a disposal for Black support. That is disparaging. You should care to respect our Afro-Guyanese brothers and sisters, and this is what you would say to them, that they can be bought?

“That backward type of politics; that disheartening type of politics is something of the past. That can’t win anymore in the future, Mr. Norton. That can’t bring people together. That age-old strategy of yours has died understanding this,” the Head of State said.

He posited that Afro-Guyanese have the capacity to think and analyse for themselves, especially for the upcoming LGEs and the 2025 General and Regional Elections.