–Dr Jagdeo says

AS the People’s National Congress-Reform (PNC-R) continues on a political rollercoaster, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has said that based on the current showings, there is going to be “a mud fest”.

Dr. Jagdeo, during a press conference at Freedom House on Thursday, highlighted that the PNC-R, although a long-standing party, has declined to the point where there is a competition for a “mediocre” leader to steer its reigns.

“It’s going to be a mud-fest; it’s a pity that this party that has such a long history, the PNC, would now have a competition for a mediocre leader to lead…” Dr. Jagdeo said.
Things have taken a steep turn for the PNC-R as, so far, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton and Roysdale Forde are battling for the party’s leadership.

A, hour after Forde announced his candidacy, Norton, during a press conference delivered a direct blow to his fellow PNC-R member and implied that he is corrupt.

While highlighting the traits that make him the man for the job, the incumbent Opposition Leader said: “…But this party is also [a] politically sensible party. A lot of the party members speak to me, and there are certain things they are looking for in the leader at this stage. One of them is the PPP must have nothing on you so that they can use it to their advantage; you must not be involved in any oil scam, or there’s any document in the government drawers that can be used to control you.”

Dr. Jagdeo, during the press conference, brought these indications of infighting within the PNC-R to light and said: “Norton has already fired the first shot here, implying that Roysdale Forde is corrupt.”

However, the PPP General Secretary highlighted the irony within Norton’s statement implying that Forde is corrupt, and brought up the allegations that have been levelled against him as leader of the PNC-R by his own party members.

Norton, last year, dodged questions as to why the party’s accounts have not been audited under his watch, and when the party’s financial records will next be audited.

The party leader had faced much heat over claims by PNCR Treasurer Faaiz Mursaline about financial impropriety that included the signing of blank cheques, lack of supporting financial documents for expenditures, and the lack of an audit of the party’s finances.

Norton was questioned about these concerns. Though he said the party has an auditor, he did not explain why an audit has not been done.

According to Mursaline in a previous interview with this publication, the party’s finances have not been audited since July 2020. In an invited comment to the Guyana Chronicle, former PNCR General Secretary Amna Ally confirmed that prior to Norton taking over its leadership, the Party’s finances were audited every year.

The damning allegations made by Mursaline had led to party members calling for a thorough investigation into the claims, particularly on the lack of audits.