-amid raucous scenes
Amid raucous scenes and allegations that the process was “hijacked”, Clement Corlette was yesterday elected Chairman of the PNCR’s Region Four Committee.
Corlette, also the Chairman of the Region Four Regional Democratic Council, defeated incumbent, Ernest Elliot, by a narrow margin, sources who attended the Conference told Stabroek News. Genevieve Alleyne was elected as Vice-Chairwoman, Ann Greene- Secretary, and Dave Danny treasurer. “This embedded thing of rigging turn up again today”, a source told this newspaper.
According to the source, the entire process fell “very short” of what was expected and it was “very disastrous”. The party was attempting to make the process open and transparent but what happened yesterday was like “back to the old”, the source said. “It wasn’t one that was transparent and people were not happy with it”, the source said.
The tallying of ballots stretched well into late afternoon after the conference got off to a late start. Reporters, initially invited to the opening by one faction of the PNCR, were told when they turned up that they would not be allowed to enter.
It was explained to this newspaper that there was a cut off date, April 30, for the submission of the names of delegates but after campaigning and apparently learning that some groups were not in financial standing, Corlette wrote a letter to the Regional Committee, questioning the process. According to one source, he called for additional membership to be created.
Stabroek News was told that at the Party’s Congress, 49 groups were registered but about half were “paper groups”. In this regional congress, 25 financial groups were identified but by April 30 only six registered. After the protest, the other groups were given an additional two weeks to register but only three did so. However, representatives of a majority of those groups which did not register turned up yesterday and demanded to be a part of the process and to vote. Stabroek News was told that despite not registering, they were allowed to vote.
Stabroek News was told too that some groups had submitted names but delegates did not turn up to vote and other names were substituted and this was allowed. “The enthusiasm is not there with the membership”, the source said. This newspaper was told that as the process got underway, persons helped others with their ballot though who someone voted for was supposed to be something “between them and God”. Some persons objected and raucous scenes erupted, according to the sources.
According to them, persons who were “diehards” were among those involved. Stabroek News was told that Dr. Richard van West Charles and another member, Sherwin Benjamin were jeered and called derogatory names and one woman spat in Benjamin’s face. After he pushed her away a “big fracas” erupted and “(a woman) of all people pick up a wood and run behind Benjamin” and threatened him, one source reported.
This newspaper was told too that two drainage and irrigation gangs were registered and allowed to vote. One candidate used them as a way of “pumping up” delegates, a source reported. The source further reported that since PNCR Leader Robert Corbin had made the statement that he would not be the party’s presidential candidate for the next elections there have been some who have urged him to withdraw the statement. With Corbin’s supporters “winning” the party’s internal elections, it is a way of showing that his support is still strong, the source said adding that the process was “hijacked by those who had ulterior motives”.
It was the Regional Committee who was supposed to be in charge of yesterday’s Conference but it was “hijacked”, the source declared.
Corbin addressed the Conference yesterday and was in “a `busing’ mode”, according to the source. One of the issues he spoke about was people not being satisfied with the process and talking to the media and giving the party a bad name, the source reported.
According to the sources, yesterday’s election could have been an opportunity to “tell the public we putting our house in order” but “this embedded thing of rigging turn up again today”.
Recent internal elections of the PNCR have been riddled with acrimony and claims and counter-claims of rigging and strong-armed tactics. Yesterday’s election was seen as a key test of whether the pro-Corbin wing of the party could be defeated. It however came out ahead of the anti-Corbin wing.