The Georgetown District sends the most delegates to the congress of the party and yesterday’s outcome could be pivotal to party leader Robert Corbin retaining his post. Lawrence, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, is seen as a Corbin ally and someone who could promote his candidacy. Sources say had Norton won he would have been in a better position to mount a leadership challenge. The last congress had already seen an acrimonious parting between the Corbin faction and Team Alexander – led by Vincent Alexander – and culminated in the recall of James McAllister from Parliament.
By the time the results of the election were announced at around 6 pm, Norton and most of his supporters had left Congress Place, Sophia labelling the election process a fraud.
However, after the announcement of the new office bearers was made, Corbin, installed the new officers, and said that no one can question the will of the Georgetown members and he urged that they all unite to ensure that the party wins the upcoming local government elections.
The party in a release last evening said that “after a vigorous campaign”, Lawrence along with Hazel Pinder, vice-chairman; Sheila Prescott, secretary and Linda Gomes, treasurer were
elected. Committee members are Kevin Rose, Vibert Hart and Eon Andrews.
The party said that the congress saw more than 1000 delegates and observers from 29 party groups and five youth groups participating in yesterday’s process.
‘Sad day’
As the ballot papers were being distributed for the voting for chairman, chaos erupted as persons were heard shouting that they were not receiving any ballot papers while others claimed that some persons were receiving more than one ballot paper. This saw some of them jumping to their feet and engaging in shouting matches.
One man who wanted to make his voice heard stood at the microphone screaming that the process was being rigged and he suggested to Returning Officer Robert Williams that the delegates move by rows to the head table to vote instead of sharing out the ballot papers as that process was supporting rigging.
“We cannot want to go to the PPP/C and talk about rigging elections when we are doing the same here, this must end now we must stop this and we must start doing things right now,” the man shouted into the microphone. And while he had many supporters there were others who were very angry with his outburst. One man got so angry at his outburst that he wrenched the microphone from his hands, and this saw several persons, including party leader-hopeful Dr Richard Van West Charles, jumping to their feet and running to the man’s assistance.
After some minutes of shouting, Corbin was forced to take the microphone at the podium and literally begged and sometimes demanded that persons take their seats. He described the situation as a “sad day” and asked his members if they wanted him to become ill again.
After about 10 minutes persons returned to their seats and voted for the chairman and Stabroek News observed that some of them even followed the ballot boxes all the way to the room where the ballots were counted.
However, the earlier chaos seemed to have turned many off and they chose to leave Congress Place even before the voting process was over. Parliamentarians Debra Backer and Winston Murray were some of the more prominent persons who left.
Norton and his supporters also left the voting area and were overheard saying that the process was being rigged. Some persons produced ballot papers which did not have the standardised stamp at the back of them.
“This is bare jiggery-pokery,” Norton told one of his supporters.
Prior to the elections some persons were openly heard voicing their objections to their names not being found on the list of delegates.
“My name not there but me ent fighting because dem wouldn’t want me to fight,” one woman said as she was advised by another that she should have checked before yesterday to ensure that her name was on the list. In the weeks leading up to the vote there had been complaints from Van West Charles about transparency at Congress Place.
There was obviously some friction between those who supported Lawrence and Norton and they openly displayed this, even using expletiv
es to get their points over.
“Nuff a dem wah talking, is Miss Lawrence who help dem children to grow up and now deh talking,” one obviously upset woman said.
Another said she was accused of wanting to vote for Lawrence by someone in Norton’s camp and she said while she knows Norton from since she was a small child she should be allowed to vote for whoever she sees fit.
Some persons last evening said while they had no problem with Lawrence they do not believe that she has what it takes to mobilise people to come out and vote.
“Is bare stupidness happening, them don’t care about this party, number one [Robert Corbin] is no leader and he should have stepped down since the last elections when he lose so badly but no, he holding on and now he pushing for Lawrence to win even though he know it is not in the best interest of the party,” one member said.
Soon after, Norton and many of his supporters exited Congress Place and there were no dissenting voices when the announcement was finally made, only jubilation.
‘Spirited’
Following the voting and the announcement of the office bearers Corbin described the elections as one that was expected from a political party as he said “if we can’t have a spirited election in the party how we can have a spirited election in the nation.”
“Of course we would use all our skills to get through but at the end of the day it is the electorate that makes the final decision… and I would like to congratulate those who stayed through to the end,” the party leader said. He told the members who remained that they would be victorious and in relation to the others “ultimately we are from the same fold, the People’s National Congress Reform, it is for us to embrace each other and to move forward as a united party because there are some people who believe they can’t function unless [they are leading] but you cannot be a good leader if you are not a good follower.”
He urged the members to give the newly elected members of the executive their support for the next year. He asked the new executive to make the Georgetown District into one united army and ensure that the party in victorious at the upcoming local government election.
“And for those who were concerned about the elections, I am glad I was here today so that I would not be hearing second-(hand) reports,” he said, adding that while there are a few reports that the party’s general secretary would have to investigate he believes “from these resounding results there can be no doubt about the general will of the members of the Georgetown District…”
Meanwhile, sources close to Norton’s camp last evening said that he would seek to deal with yesterday’s election at the party level as according to them many of the decisions put in place at the election were lawless. They said that they were not able to have all their delegates vote as there was no roll call and people were given more than one ballot paper. There were more ballot papers than people, and according to them this should not have been.
‘Impotent’
And former Chairman of the party, Winston Murray in an address prior of the election said that the leadership of the party has become “impotent” which has resulted in the present day government “taking their eyes and pass us.”
Murray in a very impassioned but short address said that he is “hurt” when he says how the government has no regard for the party and he said this is mainly due to the weak leadership.
Admitting that he also has to take some blame for the weak leadership as up to recently he was part of it, Murray called for a militant approach by the party and called on its leadership to take its membership to the streets. This statement resulted in loud applause from the very vocal audience.
However, he cautioned that when the party called for its members to take to the streets “many of you stay in your homes.”
Murray had announced his resignation as chairman of the party and stated that that the party’s public departure from a position he took on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) has made it “impossible” to continue to hold the office with credibility.
Meanwhile, Murray said there is no reason for the party to apologise for anything it might have done during its 28 years of governing the country.
He said that every government has made mistakes and added that the party stands proud of its record. Murray said those who are calling for an apology have their own agendas and they should be ignored.
Corbin while wrapping up the first session of the conference supported Murray’s stance of the party offering no apology but he did not address Murray’s statement that the party’s leadership is weak.
Corbin said that the party has addressed the apology issue on a number of occasions in the past and it is not something it is going to spend much time on.
And yesterday there was great displeasure among some party members over what they termed as the “thuggish” behaviour of some of their fellow members. They complained about loud and obnoxious heckling by some members while persons were making points, stating that this was very disrespectful and unhelpful to the party.
“They are not even listening to what the people are saying, and these are some of the issues that keep people away from the party,” one woman complained.
She said she has long been told that the party “lacked middle management, such as the nurses and the teachers, we are not attracting these people and it is hurting the party.” She said that some of the members need to stop behaving in a manner that hurts the party’s public image.
According to the party’s release Corbin in his opening address reminded the conference that the party had always been inclusive and accommodated different views and opinions. He said that if anyone doubted the fact all they had to do “is to look around the room and see the faces of those who from time to time had different views and ideas but did not have to leave the party.” The release said the party leader advised that at the end of the day, “it was performance and work by which each member of the District will be judged. There must be involvement with the community and its members, an essential task as the local government elections are slated to be held this year.”
