Dear Editor,
AFTER observing the Disciplined Services voting at Eve Leary, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton again raised unfounded claims of “dead and overseas voters.”
When asked by Prime News why there were so few claims during the Claims and Objections period, Norton replied that he believed the process was “useless,” since it could not remove thousands of deceased or overseas persons.

Pressed further by Demerara Waves on why he did not at least submit a few cases to take before the courts, Norton said only that “in politics you make strategic decisions.”
This isn’t unfamiliar. Back in 2022, the Demerara Waves reported on Norton threatening to stop the Local Government Elections over what he claimed was “widespread forgery” alongside concerns about the Official List of Electors.

When asked in October 2022, on refusal to submit claims during the Claims and Objections Period, Norton told the press: “We didn’t have to do claims and objections. It wasn’t tactical. First of all, you have a bloated list. Why are we seeking to take people off of a bloated list?”

All these pronouncements came months before the 2023 Local Government Elections, likely intending to cast aspersions upon the process in the event of a poor showing for APNU. One must recall that both the AFC and WPA opted out from participating altogether, claiming they were “boycotting” the poll.

Do we remember what happened next? The PPP/C won 87% of the existing Local Government authorities and made significant inroads in APNU strongholds.
One such example is Georgetown, where the PPP upped their seat share on the M&CC by four seats from the prior LGE’s. While APNU/PNC held onto Linden, Georgetown and New Amsterdam – they lost Bartica. However, they held subsequent victory parades across the country for retention of said strongholds.

Why the about-face? What happened to this supposed “widespread rigging” through a list full of “dead voters”? What brought on this pomp and fanfare over results from this list of thousands of so-called dead and overseas voters?

Again, how can one claim that the list is rigged, decry it – make no claims during the statutory claims and objections process and subsequently celebrate victory from said list?
What is this, if not a flagrant contradiction?
In what realm could avoiding legal avenues and spreading unproven claims be deemed “strategic”? If anything, it continues to underscore that Norton, and the PNC are grounding their

campaign on falsehood over fact and desperation over credibility.
Back in 2020, during the recount process, Norton utterly emasculated himself while parroting the election conspiracy lies during the Granger rigging attempt.
He mendaciously told the media that 45 out of 89 ballot boxes (there were 99) were linked to illegalities and electoral fraud. All these claims were made without proof, yet the Coalition ultimately gave their signature of approval to the Results Certificate for that Region. Was this another “strategic decision”?
As Norton promises to “behave bad” if the PPP “rigs” the upcoming elections, this utterly contradictory style of political rhetoric becomes clear: Make sweeping and unfounded claims to save face, without concern of their damage, then walk back said position after the damage has been done.
The last time Norton chose to “behave bad”, was when he was at the fore of post- elections unrest in 1997. Not too long after, Desmond Hoyte famously booted him from Congress Place and branded him “a creature”.

Just on Sunday alone, he told an audience in Plaisance that “once we beat the People’s Progressive Party, they must go or they will face the consequences”.
There appears to be no semblance of self-awareness whatsoever coming from a man whose Party squatted in office after losing a No Confidence Motion and further attempted to stay in power through a failed coup d’état.

When Norton ascended to the helm of the PNC in 2021, there was room to separate himself from Granger’s administration and the rigging attempt. From 2015 to 2020, he was never in Cabinet but kept on the periphery as an Advisor. Despite spouting lies during the recount, he could’ve easily feigned plausible deniability – and claimed he was misled.
Instead, he has chosen to contort himself into a pretzel while merging himself to both Granger’s track record and rigging attempt for which he will deservedly suffer.
Earlier this year, Norton vowed never to “bend over backwards” at the behest of the AFC, during failed Coalition talks. As Election Day draws near, it has become evident that he prefers to do so on his own.
Yours truly,
Nikhil Sankar.