–attempts to downplay their previous standing in the party despite clear record of senior, executive statuses 

FACED with an exodus of high-profile members, People’s National Congress/ Reform (PNC/R) Leader Aubrey Norton, is moving aggressively to discredit their roles in the party although the records tell a different story.

At a press conference on Friday, Norton brushed aside questions regarding the party’s credibility and stability given the mass exodus of members.

Norton heavily criticised prominent political figure in Linden, Jermaine Figueira, who resigned from the party last Saturday.

“We don’t consider him a heavyweight because the work that was required as a party in Region 10 wasn’t being done,” Norton said.

He later added: “It had to do with competence or lack of it, not anything to do with [being] sidelined.”

But while Norton focused much of his criticism on Figueira, his party continues to grapple with a much deeper issue: a steady exodus of figures who have expressed dissatisfaction with his leadership and the path that the once major party is going down.

Norton opted to stick to the narrative that these defectors held no real influence.

“None of the persons that [sic] have resigned were members of the executive of the PNC, except Figueira,” Norton said.

In this regard, he was addressing Geeta Chandan-Edmond, former opposition parliamentarian and PNC/R General Secretary; Daniel Seeram, PNC/R-appointed Region Four Chairman and Samuel Sandy, PNC/R- appointed Region Four Vice-Chairman.

Notably, Norton’s attempt to minimise Chandan-Edmond’s importance by stating she was not an executive member directly contradicts the PNCR’s own 2022 announcement appointing her as General Secretary, one of the party’s top positions, and her performance at the party’s congress, where she secured a significant amount of the votes. She was also a Member of Parliament.

Similarly, Daniel Seeram is the PNC/R appointed Region Four Chairman, the country’s most populous and politically significant region. Samuel Sandy is the PNC/R appointed Region Four Vice-Chairman.

Both the Chairman and Vice-Chairman resignations, like Chandan-Edmond’s, were a direct rejection of Norton’s leadership.

As the September 1 General and Regional Elections approach, the question continues to loom as to whether the party’s base is stable, given the continuous bleeding of key figures since Norton has taken up the mantle as leader, and the leadership’s refusal to acknowledge the depth of the complaints.