The PNCR is still finalising the process to identify its presidential candidate for next year’s election, party General Secretary Oscar Clarke said yesterday.
At a General Council last weekend, the main opposition party had delayed adopting procedures to identify the candidate, opting to continue consultation with party groups. Clarke, who also chairs the Presidential Candidate Process Committee, told Stabroek News yesterday that consultations were still ongoing. “We are working and should have something to report back to the CEC (Central Executive Committee) in the coming week,” he explained.
Stabroek News understands that the committee met with representatives from party groups, including prospective candidates David Granger, Winston Murray and Basil Williams, as part of the ongoing consultation. Former minister in the PNC government Dr Faith Harding has also signalled her interest in being the candidate, while executive Aubrey Armstrong reportedly signalled his interest at the General Council. He did not respond to a request by this newspaper on his interest in the candidacy.
Meanwhile, Clarke said that the process to identify the candidate could involve public debates among candidates, after they are nominated by the party groups. He said the candidates would have to agree to such a process.
In addition to Clarke, the committee comprised three other members of the CEC, Dr George Norton, Amna Ally and Lurlene Nestor; representatives from the party’s youth arm, the Guyana Youth and Students Movement, Christopher Jones; its women’s arm, the National Congress of Women, Volda Lawrence; the North American and UK chapters; and the general membership, Jeffrey Thomas.
The proposed procedure to identify the candidate would include the convening of a special congress, where an election would be held, after a list of recommended candidates, in order of priority, is submitted to the CEC.
The proposal presented at the General Council Meeting envisaged each party group submitting a list of nominees in order of priority to a regional committee. Upon receipt of the lists, the committee would then schedule a special extended regional meeting, which would be attended by a representative from each of the groups. At the meeting, the lists would be examined and eventually inform a national list, which would rank candidates in order of priority. Additionally, the process would see requests to the nominees for resumes and the committee would also be empowered to request interviews of all the shortlisted nominees if it is deemed necessary. Afterward, the committee would be responsible for compiling its recommended lists of candidates to the CEC, prior to the holding of the special congress. However, there is resistance to going to a special congress, which some groups believe would ensure the widest participation by the membership. Among the suggestions made to the committee is for every member to be allowed to vote on the candidate, ensuring that the process is as democratic as possible. While the argument against the direct election of the candidate by bona fide party members has been the logistical arrangements it would entail, its proponents have pointed out that it does not stand up to scrutiny since it has already been proposed that the general membership be involved directly in the nomination process.
The call for a vote by ordinary members is also intended to allay concerns about electoral process, prompted by the results at the last two party congresses. Other party elections have also resulted in questions about the process and a decision to go the way of a special congress could see a call for the process to be conducted independently.
In keeping with a motion passed in July, the party’s candidate is supposed to be of sound and unquestionable integrity, commanding the full confidence of the members of the party and the Guyanese people.
The prospective candidate would have to meet the qualifications for election to the National Assembly, including the seven-year residency requirement, set out in articles 53, 90 and 155 of the Constitution
Additionally, the committee has proposed that persons should not put themselves up for consideration as a candidate if they do not have the qualifications they claim to have; if they have a criminal conviction; if they are aware of a life threatening condition; and if they were a serving member of the committee.
The party’s move to select a candidate was triggered by the announcement by Corbin in March that he was not interested in being the presidential candidate again. Corbin had also said that “a major challenge” for the party was to find “a consensus presidential candidate who could win the confidence of the majority of Guyanese” at the polls.
However, he has emphasised that he would not be stepping down from the post of party leader, after there was speculation that he was prepared to do so.
Some critics have said his decision to remain as leader would undermine whoever is selected as the party’s candidate.
In addition to a candidate, the party has also been exploring electoral alliances with other opposition forces, including the WPA, GAP and NFA as well as civil society groups. The party has said it is committed to develop, “without precondition” a working understanding with any individual or entity, even from within the PPP, willing to negotiate in good faith on a platform to transform the country.
