—says party undermined for the insider, struggles to uphold Burnham’s legacy

FORMER Mayor of Georgetown, Pandit Ubraj Narine, has tendered his resignation from the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), citing careful reflection and a desire to part ways respectfully with immediate effect.

His departure comes as fresh political commentary warns of widening ideological cracks and internal sabotage within the opposition party. In a signed letter to PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton dated November 20, 2025, Narine expressed gratitude for his years of service but confirmed he was stepping away from the party’s political machinery.

“I write with respect and careful reflection to tender my resignation from the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), with immediate effect,” he stated, adding that his political journey within the PNC/R provided him “invaluable experiences, meaningful relationships and opportunities to serve the people of Guyana with dedication and sincerity.”

Narine explained that although their political paths now diverge, he maintained his respect for the institution and its history, “We will continue to share a common commitment to peace, democracy, and the advancement of all Guyanese… I extend my best wishes to the Party as it continues the important work for Nation building.”

COLUMNIST WARNS OF EROSION OF BURNHAM’S LEGACY

However, on Wednesday, Narine in his column, Satya Prakash titled “Undermined from Inside: PNC/R Struggles to Uphold Burnham’s Legacy,” argued that the party is facing a slow but dangerous internal unravelling led by individuals who, he suggests, fundamentally diverge from the ideological principles of the organisation’s founder, Linden Forbes Burnham.

“Political parties do not collapse from the outside alone; very often, they weaken from within,” Prakash wrote, cautioning that the PNC/R is now confronted by a “troubling internal drift that many supporters at home and abroad can no longer ignore.”

He argued that dissent within the parliamentary PNC/R-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) benches has crossed the threshold of healthy democratic debate and is instead “a quiet erosion of the party’s historical identity and collective discipline.”

Narine was blunt about what he described as the infiltration of anti-Burnham elements into key political spaces, “It is no secret that some of these very parliamentarians were openly opposed to Burnham’s foundational policies… Others remained hostile to the APNU Coalition during the heated and defining 2020 elections.”

Yet, he noted, such individuals “continue to sit comfortably on the votes, trust, and loyalty of the PNCR’s base—votes they may not have earned but now benefit from.”

The column highlighted that the PNC/R’s strength was never accidental, but built on “sacrifice, strategic discipline, and ideological clarity.” It warned that allowing individuals who “oppose or undermine the party’s core values to ascend without accountability” has weakened internal culture and diluted the party’s direction.

He argued that leadership must confront uncomfortable truths if the PNC/R is to reclaim relevance, “The deterioration of a great party is not inevitable. But reversing it requires courage, clarity, and a leadership willing to confront uncomfortable truths.”

“Guyana is changing rapidly; the PNC/R must decide whether it will rise to meet that moment—or allow its legacy to fade through internal sabotage and silence,” it warned.

‘BREAK THE HANDS’

Recently the party’s former chairman, Shurwayne Holder, who also served as parliamentarian from 2020-2025 and Veteran executive member Mervyn Williams resigned over the party’s internal struggles.

While neither Williams nor Holder offered specific reasons for their resignations, the Guyana Chronicle understands that the internal tension in the party grew after the announcement of businessman, Terrence Campbell, as the lead parliamentarian for the PNC/R-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition.

APNU’s announcement of its 12 parliamentary picks sparked debate, as controversial Working People’s Alliance (WPA) figure Dr David Hinds also made the cut, while key figures such as former Chief Whip Christopher Jones; Attorney-at-Law, Roysdale Forde; former APNU+AFC minister, Annette Ferguson among others, were left out.

Dr Hinds, known for his provocative commentary on race and politics, has drawn ire for using terms like “lick bottom” to insult African Guyanese who support the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

APNU’s lead MP, businessman Campbell was the Alliance For Change’s (AFC)’s pick for presidential candidate had there been a new coalition ahead of the 2025 elections.

Campbell had said he would “break the hands” of Norton [make him concede to the terms] during the negotiations on a possible APNU+AFC coalition.

Just last year, Campbell publicly lambasted Norton’s leadership and declared the opposition coalition process “untenable.”

Aside from Campbell, the other APNU parliamentarians are Juretha Fernandes, Ganesh Mahipaul, Dr Hinds, Sharma Solomon, Vinceroy Jordan, Nima Flue-Bess, Saiku Andrews, Coretta McDonald, Riaz Rupnarain, Dexter Todd and Sherod Duncan.

The results of the September 1 2025 General and Regional Elections not only showed that APNU lost the elections to the PPP/C, but also lost a majority of its support base to political newcomer, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN).

The WIN party become the main opposition with 16 seats to fill, based on the official results released by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

In the last parliament, the APNU and AFC held 31 seats in the National Assembly, forming the main parliamentary opposition, with 22 of those seats being held by APNU members.

Meanwhile, former APNU parliamentarian Amanza Walton-Desir’s party, Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), picked up one seat at the 2025 elections.

Six political parties contested the polls this year, but the PPP/C’s strong showing across the 10 administrative regions has solidified its mandate to govern for an additional five years.

Based on the results, the PPP/C returned to office with a substantial parliamentary majority, having secured 36 of the 65 seats.