PNCR Executive Aubrey Norton yesterday dismissed concerns raised by Dr Richard Van West Charles’ campaign about the party’s electoral process, in the run up to its upcoming biennial congress.
At the start of the week, Dr Van West-Charles’ camp put out an update on its activities that charged that a “pattern of fraud and delay” was emerging in the electoral process, echoing sentiments raised by the Vincent Alexander campaign before the last congress. It accused both Norton and PNCR General Secretary Oscar Clarke of placing obstacles in its way. “It’s not good to call persons a liar,” Norton said yesterday, “but I think he [Van West-Charles] is a little distant from the truth.”
According to the Van West-Charles campaign, it requested membership forms from the party headquarters, only to be told that they were sent out to the regions-3, 6 and 10. Further, it noted that in the regions limited amounts were given and there was a claim that there were no more. However, the campaign said it has evidence that forms were given to specific individuals when it was told there were none. The campaign said, “Dr Van West Charles will accept the results of any process conducted in an equitable and transparent manner but let it be known that the fraud perpetrated on Team Alexander with the subsequent expulsion of James McAllister would not be tolerated.” During the last biennial congress, Van West-Charles had supported Alexander’s campaign for leadership.
However, Norton explained that Van West-Charles called him to request forms for his group but never collected them. As a result, Norton said he has been driving around with 30 forms in his vehicle. “Unfortunately, Mr Van West-Charles seems to believe that he is a minister of government and minions have got to go and carry forms to him,” he said, while indicating that he spoke for the Georgetown District without fear of contradiction.
Norton also stressed that it is members in the party groups and districts who apply for forms, noting that Van West-Charles went the route of approaching the party’s youth arm, the Guyana Youth and Student Movement (GYSM), for forms although it is the GYSM membership that should be requesting forms. “In this party, all the groups and districts that have asked for forms, as far as I know, would have obtained forms,” Norton added, “If anybody’s actions are questionable, I would suggest it is Richard Van West-Charles.”
Further, pointing to Van West-Charles’ recent return to Guyana, Norton questioned his knowledge about the inner workings of the party. “It is evident that [he] has to return, understand, relate to the membership of the party and be part of a process before he makes the kind of statements he is making,” he said.
Meanwhile, Van West-Charles has written to PNCR General Secretary Oscar Clark, requesting a review of the Georgetown District.
The campaign said after meeting with former members of “Team Alexander,” he confirmed that the “current pattern of fraud and delay” is “a carbon copy of tactics” used at the last biennial congress. “It is apparent that lessons have not been learnt,” the campaign said, adding that the past struggles of “Trotman and Alexander” were becoming manifest. “The only process we must accept for rebuilding of the PNC internally and externally is one of transparency,” it emphasised, “It’s [the party’s] processes must be a beacon for the rest of the country….”
In an interview last week, Van West-Charles told Stabroek News that the party’s election process has to be fair, just and transparent to both the membership and to the public. “Free and fair polls are one of the critical issues and you can’t go to the [electorate] with question marks about your own internal process,” he said. He explained that the party must be prepared to address its internal issues and communicate it internally and externally that it has changed, enabling it to communicate to the general public that it knows what it is talking about.
Alexander and his supporters abandoned their campaign before voting began at the 2007 congress, after failing to get a verification of the list of members eligible to vote.
Disciplinary proceedings were subsequently instituted against Alexander and other members of his team for their public display during their campaign.
All but one of the members of his campaign was subsequently found guilty of party rules and reprimanded while former executive James McAllister was suspended and recalled as a Member of Parliament on additional charges. Following McAllister’s recall, Alexander and other supporters withdrew their membership, citing several concerns, including the recall. Alexander and his supporters said they had been persecuted after their leadership challenge.
