TURBULENT times continue to strike the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) as Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton, remains clueless about the operations within camp, according to General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo.

During a press conference on Thursday at Freedom House, the PPP General Secretary brought to light a recent article by online news outlet Village Voice, which announced the eight Opposition Members of Parliament (MP) who will meet with United States House of Representatives Democratic Leader, congressional representative Hakeem Jeffries.

Village Voice also reported, on Wednesday, what the meeting with the congressional representative will entail. On the forefront of the article were pictures of Dawn Hastings-Williams, Roysdale Forde, Catherine Hughes and Deonarine Ramsaroop.

However, Norton, during his press conference, on Thursday, was oblivious to this and said that the media will be notified about the list of delegates in a press statement later on.

To this, PPP General Secretary said: “This begs the question as to whether Norton knows what’s happening in his own party” adding: “So this is very revealing.”

Speaking more on the leadership crisis that has been constantly rocking the APNU camp, Dr. Jagdeo stated: “For me personally, when the person in charge of a political party says to the media, that he has not decided as yet who will go with him to Washington and he will tell the media later and an arm of his party already determining who would be members of that delegation…Clearly, this represents the confusion in the party.”

Furthermore, touching on the trips that the Opposition Leader has recently made with the diaspora, he said that the topics were redundant and lacked substance.

“I looked through the transcript of all that he said abroad and I don’t think that I have to respond to anything” he stated.

However, on Friday the APNU issues a press statement under the caption “APNU and AFC MPs to meet house democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries in Washington DC”

The team of seven MPs namely Dawn Hastings, MP, PNCR General Secretary; Ganesh Mahipaul, Roysdale Forde, Amanza Walton-Desir, Nima Flue Bess, Catherine Hughes, David Patterson, Deonarine Ramsaroop, and Vincent Henry is scheduled to meet US House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries in Washington D.C. on 27th September 2023.

The team of elected representatives is headed by Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton.

Earlier this year, a No-Confidence Motion was filed against Norton at the level of the party, since it is believed that he has “severely tarnished” the party’s image, and oversaw “a speedy downward spiral” of the PNCR in just over a year.

The Motion was submitted by the Chairman of the PNCR’s Florida Chapter, John C. Yates, who is seeking Norton’s resignation, given that, under his leadership, a large number of members, supporters and sympathisers, “have lost interest in this party”, while the business community has been withholding their support.

The motion cited the recent damning revelations by the party’s Treasurer Faaiz Mursaline about financial impropriety in the party as having a severe effect on the party’s image.