–party says contents of her resignation a ‘gross misrepresentation of the facts’

OPPOSITION Member of Parliament Amanza Walton-Desir on Wednesday officially announced her resignation from the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) and as a Member of Parliament from the APNU+AFC List.

Walton- Desir told reporters at a press conference that her decision to part with the PNC/R came following ‘much soul searching’ after being continuously ‘undervalued’ and ‘silenced’ by her former alliance.
Present at the ‘presser’ were officials who served under the David Granger-led APNU+AFC Government, such as former Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan and former Director of Communications at the then-Ministry of the Presidency, Mark Archer.

There have been reports that known elements in the party had been trying to convince Leader of the PNC/R Aubrey Norton to step aside for a “more popular” candidate for the September 1 polls.
Norton, however, has since stood his ground and maintained that he will be the presidential candidate of the party for the upcoming general and regional elections.
Walton-Desir, who withdrew her candidacy for leader of the party just before its most recent congress where Norton was elected, announced the formation of her own political movement, ‘Forward Guyana’.
“This decision has been an agonising one, arrived at after much soul-searching, prayer, and counsel of trusted family and friends,” she said.

An attorney by profession, Walton Desir served as Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Guyana since 2020.
The former PNC/R executive noted that she met with the party’s leader, Aubrey Norton, to clarify her role, stating that there was lack of clear direction regarding her campaign responsibilities.
Walton-Desir reiterated that she was not offered ‘a defined position’.

“My intention was to clarify what role, if any, I was expected to play in shaping the future of the PNC/R. There was not sufficient clarity for me on the way forward in the PNC/R as it is currently constituted,” she said, adding:
“While I appreciated the opportunity to engage, it became clear to me that in good conscience, I could not remain where my contributions are undervalued and my voice silenced.”
Walton-Desir now joins several other well-known political figures to exit the PNC/R just months before the 2025 regional and general polls.
Meanwhile, the politician noted that her movement is not a one-woman show, but is open to coalition-building, and will align with partners who share core values and a common vision.
While she did not reveal who has engaged her, she noted that a number of parties have signalled interest in collaborating.
She did not dismiss questions about a possible partnership or collaboration with US-sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed.
Just before Walton-Desir’s press conference, the PNC/R, in a statement, responded to allegations of her resignation.

The party began by countering Walton-Desir’s claim that no concrete offer was made regarding her role in the September 1 General and Regional Elections.
The party said that she was not only promised extraction to Parliament, but also offered a position on the campaign’s management team during a June 7 meeting with Norton.
The statement read: “Ms. Walton-Desir then stated that she needed to consult her team and would revert. However, no response was received; instead, she submitted a letter of resignation.”

The Party has noted that Ms. Walton-Desir has submitted her resignation, and that her claim that no offer was made to her is a gross misrepresentation of the facts. “The Party finds it necessary to correct this inaccuracy, and is therefore placing this clarification in the public domain in response to the misleading statements contained in her letter of resignation.”
In the past few weeks, fractions in the PNC/R camp have grown with the exit of several of its stalwarts.