THE internal elections are over. As predicted correctly, Aubrey Norton emerged from the PNCR as its leader after months of planning the strategy to get him elected allegedly through rigging, fraud, padding the list, and manipulation.

Norton’s election cost the PNCR dearly and it leaves behind a badly divided party categorised by magnanimous levels of disunity, distrust, factionalism, and wounds.

Regardless of what Roysdale Forde, Amanza Walton-Desir and other PNCR members say publicly, they know the truth about the elections and the state of democracy internally. Norton made sure that they will pay their political price in the coming weeks and months till the party contests the 2025 national election.

Nevermind the allegations made by Vanessa Kissoon of sexual inappropriateness and sexual assault, they still stood by Norton. Nevermind, the allegations of corruption, racism, and financial mismanagement, the few still elected Norton.

This proves that the PNC is neither ready nor able to manage and lead this nation towards a clean, accountable and transparent government of the future.

On one hand, Norton pulled a Burnham political strategy on the party to become its leader when virtually nobody wanted him.

On the other hand, the AFC’s election of Nigel Hughes as leader of the party is interesting and intriguing as it is the mistake of the century. After all, it can be justified because Duncan has no political worth to the party other than being the candidate that can ‘get on, cuss and behave lewd and lawless’ on his social media platform. He has no political class nor quality. He does not have the power or appeal to gain voters beside his ‘dirty and commonplace personality’ which appeals to the same electorate as Norton.

The fact that the AFC went with Hughes, who is always missing in action when the party needs him, as its choice means they are not a serious political party and has no interest in expanding its membership or parliamentary seating. Hughes is considered a sellout or one trick political party leader who is rumoured to allegedly be in bed with ExxonMobil Guyana because his law firm represents its interest.

With the Returning Officers for the elections being Christopher Ram and Trevor Benn, how can Hughes not emerge winner? The results claim he beat Duncan handsomely with 149 votes and leaving him near tears with 62. There were concerns about the conduct of Hughes’ campaign in lead up to the polls but Duncan thought his popularity would give him the leadership. In politics, it is not popularity that wins vote, it is political strategy, commonsense and reading the mood of the electorate.

The election of both PNCR leader and the AFC leader over the weekend, leads to the thought that any coalition arrangement will need a consensus candidate. This candidate may be necessary because Norton cannot unite the opposition or PNCR as was clearly seen in the days leading to the Congress. He is the leader by default and because everyone else dropped out the race because of unfair practices.

Similarly, Hughes can’t get anyone behind him seriously. He will talk about his ancestors, Guyanese of African Descent and maybe appeal to black supremacist. Hughes will not be able to capture the crossover votes. He cannot appeal to Guyanese of East Indian ancestry. Try as he may, he is nowhere close to a Granger, Nagamootoo or even a Ramjattan given his political experience to say the least.

So, we must make a sensible prediction. Maybe, Norton plans to hijack the process of candidature of the APNU+AFC coalition. He already had the motion passed at the PNCR Congress which offers him up as a possible candidate or the candidate.

AFC’s Hughes will not agree easily if the demand comes from the PNC again. It is likely to insist on a presidential candidate of its choosing from the AFC. It will buckle under pressure to select Nigel Hughes but will not support the latter because the coalition has to have the right racial, classist and political optics. The PNCR will not agree with its coalition partners and will risk it alone.

If APNU+AFC goes alone to the polls without the PNCR, it will seal its political fate as neither of the opposition parties can emerge a winner separately of the national election. The ruling PPP/C will have a field day with both and dismiss them straight into the house of oblivion. If they go as PPP, AFC and PNC, the latter would stand the chance of being weakened and exposing its actual votes and unattractiveness. And, even then the PPP/C will emerge victorious with an even bigger majority.

The worst-case scenario is that the coalition goes back with David Granger as the consensus candidate. The PPP/C will win the election outright again. The ruling party will be on their guard either which ways in the case of any consensus candidate coming from the opposition be it Norton, Hughes or Granger. They know the ways that the opposition will attempt to rig and is capable of undoing any new way or plan.

The truth is these internal elections have weakened the prospects for a consensus candidate for the opposition which has said on numerous occasions that coalition politics is the future of politics in Guyana. This cannot be true because the opposition has not reared or selected a candidate with the qualities or disposition of a consensus candidate. For the record, a consensus candidate has the ability to transcend the lines established by any singular party. This candidate could whip up unanimous support of his political comrade and convince certain political personalities that he/she could actually win with the right conditions. The candidate must have the oratory skills of policy articulation and the ability to skillfully politic. This candidate, for the opposition, must share the vision of shared and good governance. He/she must not be polarising but must be serious and firm.

Norton has a plan to make himself this consensus candidate either by rigging the process or stamping the authority of PNC within any future alliance. He does not believe that anyone other than the PNC should be considered to have the presidential candidate. While he would barter or concede on other positions, history does not lead us to believe otherwise.

In the end, the last man standing will be the presidential candidate either alone or within a coalition. Norton does not care once he is standing. He doesn’t care, like Judas and his thirty pieces of silver, about the membership or democracy. The thorn in opposition politics is Norton. The thorn in the process at arriving at a consensus candidate is Norton. He will do anything out of desperation to call himself the opposition presidential candidate. Believe it, the end justifies the means.

Who will it be. The process starts now. The meetings begin next week to find a candidate. Never mind, Norton has shattered APNU and has a distant relationship with the AFC. And, the WPA has taken a position of indifference. Shouldn’t they get their individual campus in order first?

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.