Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton said at a party press conference that there would be “no peace” if the ruling party, the People’s Progressive Party, believed that “they will rig the next elections and get away with it.”

He also said that he believed that the government is planning to rig the upcoming elections because they do not “want biometrics”. The opposition leaders said when one looks at their support base, the PPP people (supporters and members) have “serious grouses.” He declared that the PPP is seeking to put out a narrative that they will win a landslide of the votes at elections this year, “when they cannot.”

If foolish and intellectually bankrupt were a person, it would be Norton. How can the others in the opposition leader’s circle allow him to make such utterances in the public and at this critical time? Who vets the opposition leader’s comments and its impact on the public’s perception of those in the wider opposition party, whether it’s the PNC or APNU?

Maybe he is being strategic and smart in keeping his PNC supporters and followers in the dark by feeding them the deranged Kool-aid. Firstly, since Norton suddenly went to the front of the class in opposition politics, it was noted that he was not very bright but he was tough and rough. He understood the ‘struggle’ as he called it, and was baptized in the ‘street’ politics. Norton only seems to understand protest and strategy in the political world. After all, that is why we see the PNC outside of the GECOM Chairman’s door, and the Guyana Teachers Union last year on the streets.

Norton likes taking the streets but is holding back going fully into that realm so soon. There are serious political and other consequences of playing with street politics.
For this reason, he has started to convey his intentions to protest should he fail and the PPP/Civic single-handedly emerge the winners of elections handsomely. He is, therefore, setting the stage to create instability and violence should he lose. Norton as a political leader does not have the support of a large section of the African Guyanese community, but some are loyal to the PNC party, however wrong it may be.

So, this veiled threat of having “no peace” is expected by the ruling party and they have prepared for the eventuality of Norton to make good on his promise because there will be no room for a party to declare fraud or rigging of the elections once it takes place fairly. There is no room for ‘hiding’ the SOPs from the public because of the changes to the Representation of the People’s Act and several other reforms which the PPP/C Government piloted through the National Assembly into law.

The threat that Norton seems emboldened to make is serious and requires the avid attention of the GECOM Chairman and the Police Force because many times politicians say something and we are caught by surprise, when they actually do what they have been saying all along.

For context, go to the statements of WPA activists and members David Hinds, Tacoma Ogunseye, and Kadaicke Amsterdam during the tenure of this government, one would see differing degrees of the same message to the populist here. If the PNC wins the elections, it is fair, but if the ruling party wins or any other party wins, they rigged it, therefore, there must not be any peace. That is what he is saying!

Secondly, Norton lied barefacedly when he said the PPP doesn’t want biometrics and is fearful of losing. For the record, the PPP is not opposed to biometrics and they are already forms of biometrics in place that govern GECOM’s behaviour at the polls. The PPP is fighting against the type of biometrics that the PNCR-APNU wants to be implemented now for the elections. Frankly speaking, there is not enough time to educate and inform the constituents of the changes in place. What the PNC wants is confusion and chaos to take place, and the disenfranchisement of thousands of electors mainly from the PPP’s support base.

The opposition will continue to call for enhanced biometrics, just like they have been calling for a clean voters list, which, mind you, is updated and cleaned every continuous registration cycle. Still, the party has not made any objections to GECOM. The party is still to find these “dead and phantom” voters on the list. The PNC has not ventured to say who is illegally on the list or illegal immigrants.

Similarly, Norton and the opposition must ask what is this obsession with biometrics all of a sudden. It is foolish to say that the alleged PPP doesn’t want it because it is somehow losing its supporters among groups. The PPP as a party has thousands of new members in all three counties and every administrative region who are capable young adults, professionals, youths, East Indians, mixed, African, European, Chinese, Portuguese and Amerindians.

Contrast that with the PNC party numbers. One will find a situation where the numbers are dwindling and reducing monthly because of Norton’s leadership. Groups and party organs are barely meeting and many once prominent faces are not leading the party or have left, namely Basil Williams, James Bond, Simona Broomes, and Amna Ally. The PNC leader is spewing stupidity wrapped in verbiage for the blind, deaf and dumb, and even this group of people knows it is a lie.

Thirdly, Norton has the gall to talk about rigged elections when his party used a spreadsheet to try and rig the 2020 elections before the world. Take several seats.
The ruling party is not in the business of rigging elections or undermining the electoral confidence in the electoral systems. It stands by its track record and reputation of building the infrastructure while leading the socioeconomic development of our country. What Norton and these opposition leaders fail to understand is that it takes real leadership to mitigate the challenges of development and this government is doing just that in lifting the standard of living of all Guyanese. Its policies and plans are battling the corruption and thievery that was ingrained into the system for decades.

Unlike the PNC which has normalized the theft of power, making claims on perception as opposed to facts, parliamentary laziness, and opposition buffoonery. Also, the PNC has a track record that is rooted in lies, distortion and half-truths backed by several failed projects, failed promises and a false sense of consciousness.

So, the PPP party is entitled to express the democratic view that they can perform well in the upcoming elections because they have the credentials and track record to prove that line of thought. Can the PNC? Can the PNC without APNU or AFC or some small paper party? Where is the proof of the party’s accomplishments in office, let’s use the year 2015 – 2020? Was the party really cheated at 2020 and where are the PNCs SOPs?

Finally, the truth is Norton, the PNC and AFC are already facing the brunt of the people. They are in opposition and are not doing a very good job at even that. Norton needs to do more than ‘play dress up’ and a game of opposition politics. He needs to be more serious, stop clowning around at his party and coming up with these spurious claims and dramatic tales at elections time. If the PNC will oppose this government going forward, it must be based on facts. If the PNC or any other coalition party wants to lay blame at this government’s feet, then it must get the evidence straight or be believable at least. The world is changing and politics is changing. Slowly, everything will come to light. And while the PNC is signaling its failure to be a competent opposition, its leader is busy issuing these veiled threats. A change is coming in opposition’s camp. Guyanese wait and see.

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.