THIS is how the Freudian mind works. There are imprints on the ID that because of the person’s structured life cannot be brought to the surface.
There are occasions when the person brings up these hidden truths, but they are diverted and assigned to another person.
Here is an example. An actor is a poor performer, but you keep insisting that the person is a world-class talent because the person embodies what you essentially want to be and what you have tucked away inside your ID because of marriage and society – homosexuality. In Freudian theory it is called “repression,” but from time to time, the repressed instincts in the ID come to the surface.
Another example is your wife’s insistence that at 80 years you still continue as CEO of the company. Then in an interview about a soccer coach that is still on the job at 80, you tell your interviewer about how you feel about yourself, but you divert it to the soccer coach. In a recent interview, Aubrey Norton did exactly that.
Here are two sets of words Norton used. One set went like this in reference to seasoned PNC leaders who do not want to move on: “They feel they have a right to be there.” Then he said such people “will do anything to stay.” What was in Norton ID came to the surface in that interview. He was talking about himself.
Norton was badmouthing the PNC stalwarts that left the PNC and attributed their alienation to his leadership. But if there is any stalwart who believes he has a right to be in the PNC’s leadership and will do anything to remain PNC leader, it is Norton himself.
When you look at the interview (with Kadackie Amsterdam of Kams TV) you ask yourself what is so right about the politics of Norton and what is so wrong about the politics of the PNC diehards that left. So what is wrong about the son-in-law of Forbes Burnham, Van-West Charles, who contested congressional elections and won a seat in the PNC’s central committee and broke with Norton?
So what was wrong with a virtual PNC icon, Amna Ali, that Burnham, Hoyte, Corbin, and Granger respected and saw as an essential PNC material? Ali had harsh words to say about Norton. So what was wrong with Amanza Walton-Desir that she broke with Norton, formed her own party and won a seat in parliament?
So what was wrong with Mervin Williams, who represented Amerindian communities in the PNC for over 15 years and sat as a PNC parliamentarian? So what was wrong with Ubraj Narine, who functioned as the PNC Mayor of Georgetown for five years?
So what was wrong with Prince Holder who grew up in the PNC and was chairman of the PNC Region Two party? So what was wrong with the Deputy PNC leader and chairman of the PNC, Sherwin Holder, who grew up in the PNC? So what was wrong with Pandit Dindyal Jaiprashad, who represented Berbice for the PNC in Parliament?
So what was wrong with James Bond? So what was wrong with Thandi MacAllister? So what was wrong with Tabitha Sarabo-Halley that did not cross over to the PPP but WIN? So what was wrong with, Member of Parliament, Natasha Singh-Lewis that did not cross over to the PPP but went to WIN? So what was wrong with Dawn Hastings, former PNC parliamentarian and general secretary, that did not cross over to the PPP but to WIN?
So what was so wrong with Roysdale Forde that he openly criticised Norton on the Freddie Kissoon Show? So what was so wrong with Jermaine Figueira? So what was wrong with Geeta Chandan? So what was wrong with Daniel Seeram, who officiated as the head of the Region 4 government for the PNC?
Norton in the interview spoke of the usual occurrence in Guyanese politics where individuals cross over to the party in power from the opposition. He cited the PPP. But there were only two high-level PPP leaders that joined the PNC government – Ranji Chandisingh and Vincent Teekah. GAWU leader, Harry Lall defected to the PNC when he was facing disciplinary investigation.
What Norton has to answer if his theory of defections in Guyanese politics is to stand is why Walton-Desir, Singh-Lewis, Hastings and Sarabo-Halley left under his leadership but didn’t turn up in the PPP? Never before, in the history of the CARICOM region, has there been a major political party that lost so many essential leaders over a period of two years as what is taking place in the PNC. Norton says he will not be the PNC presidential candidate in 2030. There will not be a PNC in 2030.
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.