–PNC-R Chairman says as tension continues to rise ahead of congress

DESPITE persons within the People’s National Congress-Reform (PNC-R) camp throwing heavy blows at each other and making wild accusations of infractions to essentially bring down their colleagues, the party is still attempting to purport the view that they are united, and that the exchanges are nothing but “a little banter.”

Although PNC-R stalwart Amna Ally hammered Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton and described him as unfit to be a leader, Norton was nowhere to be found at the party’s weekly press conference on Thursday. Instead, PNC-R Chairman Shurwayne Holder and the Opposition Leader’s adviser on economics Elson Low carried the torch.

The spotlight was placed on the recent infighting that erupted within the party, and Holder was pressed about his statements towards the former PNC-R General Secretary.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the PNC-R Chairman said that he does not believe Ally has “the moral authority to say who is unfit to lead the party”.

Holder, during Thursday’s press conference, expressed no regrets over what was said, and instead stated that no one will be let off the hook for speaking “untruths”.
“I honestly don’t believe that I went overboard; I’m a human being and at some point I have to draw that line… I would not sit idly by or sit silently and allow what I view as statements that are not truthful or coming from persons who I believe would have not contributed significantly over the last four years towards the development of this party to just bash the leadership and not say anything.

I am a human being, and in this particular case, I chose to address it, but that is where it ends,” he said.
Holder then went on to say: “I don’t really believe that party business should be out there in the public, and we should have that kind of rage and debate going on.”

The party members started taking jabs at each other after senior member, Roysdale Forde launched his internal campaign on the same day of a press conference held by Norton.
Holder defended his position by saying: “Same way Comrade Ally gave her view, I’m allowed to give my view.”

Meanwhile, after this newspaper would have published an article with Ally expressing her disdain for Norton’s leadership and instead throwing her support behind Forde, Opposition operatives had swarmed the comment section and referenced a “US$1 million flipped lands” saga.

When Holder was questioned about the party’s sudden vocalisation about the scandal, he said: “I wouldn’t know why party members are now bringing that up as you claim. Of course its Congress time and these kinds of things; a lot of things come up as the different persons begin to vie for various positions available, and so it is not strange that all sorts of allegations, and whether there is truth in it or not; [it] not strange for those type of things to come up.”

When probed further about the comments regarding the selectiveness, he then distanced himself and told the reporter: “Issues like that, I understand that you have to raise it, but really and truly I don’t think the public is so keen on those issues.”