—Terrence Campbell comes clean on PNC/R membership after weeks of denial

AFTER publicly battering Aubrey Norton’s leadership, positioning himself as a neutral coalition interlocutor, and insisting repeatedly that he has never been affiliated with any political party, Terrence Campbell, on Friday, admitted that he is, in fact, a member of the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R).

Campbell’s disclosure came during a party press conference on Friday, conspicuously missing A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Chairman and PNC/R Leader, Aubrey Norton, whose absence has intensified speculation about deepening fractures within the party’s leadership structure.

For weeks, former and current party insiders have accused Norton of unilaterally selecting the APNU’s parliamentary group, with some suggesting that Campbell was “foisted” onto the party.

Throughout that period, Campbell deflected questions about his affiliation, but on Friday confirmed he is now a “full-fledged member.”

“My blood was always green. I went to Bishops’ High School and it’s greener now that I’m a member of the PNC,” he said.

Pressed further on when he joined, he repeatedly described the membership date as an “internal” party matter and claimed he could not recall the exact date, only that it was “a while ago.”

He rejected suggestions that withholding the date is an attempt to avoid criticism as a newcomer amid growing speculation that he may be harbouring leadership ambitions.

When asked directly by the Guyana Chronicle whether he would consider contesting for the party’s leadership if nominated, Campbell insisted that such aspirations were “hardly” his focus, saying his priority is to transform the PNC/R into a more “vigorous” opposition.

“I’m not focused on leadership at this point,” he said.

Amid persistent anxieties about leadership, division, and the party’s direction, PNC/R member Ganesh Mahipaul, seated beside Campbell, also refused to say when the party’s next Biennial Congress would be held, describing it as another matter “internal to the PNC/R.”

Campbell is a former member of A New and United Guyana (ANUG) and once threatened to “break the hands” of the APNU Chairman during coalition negotiations. He is now the lead APNU parliamentarian.

Although previously believed to be aligned with the Alliance For Change (AFC) during coalition talks, Campbell ultimately appeared on APNU’s nomination list. He had served as an interlocutor between the AFC and APNU during attempts to revive the coalition, and only last year publicly lambasted Norton’s leadership, calling the opposition coalition process “untenable.”

Following a crushing defeat at the September 1 General and Regional Elections and being stripped of its opposition status, Norton stayed on as Leader of the PNC/R and Chairman of APNU but declined to join the parliamentary team.

Norton has been accused of excluding the Central Executive Committee (CEC) and unilaterally handpicking the incoming parliamentary lineup and bypassing the procedural requirements.

Since he acceded to the Leader of the PNC/R and APNU in 2020, Norton has come in for severe criticism for his leadership style, which resulted in several heavyweights resigning from the party.

APNU took a hit at the September 1 General and Regional Elections as the party only secured 12 seats in parliament, losing its position as the main opposition.