The PNCR says it remains committed to a broad opposition coalition and the party’s newly elected presidential candidate David Granger has signaled that that he would not shy away from leading it into the upcoming general elections.
At a press conference yesterday–the first that Granger was present at–the PNCR said its commitment to a broad opposition coalition to contest the upcoming general elections has not wavered since the election of its presidential candidate and dismissed claims of contention in the joint opposition camp.
Party leader Robert Corbin was adamant yesterday at Congress Place that nothing has changed since Brigadier (retired) Granger was elected as the PNCR’s presidential candidate and he stressed that the party has been open to all possibilities of having a strong, united coalition to contest the 2011 elections.
The Joint Opposition Political Parties (JOPP) grouping has agreed on Statement of Principles, he told reporters at the party’s weekly press conference, in addition to certain terms of reference for task forces which would work out details of them approaching the elections together. “We’re meeting again next week and if we have any concerns, I believe that would be the forum for us to discuss them,” he said.
The discussions at the JOPP level have been open, he said, noting his party is willing to address any concerns which members might have. He continued: “And we enter these conversations without any dogmatic position, without any insistence on any position…and we even stated from the beginning that were not going in there and demand before we start talking that the presidential candidate must be the PNC nominee.”
However, Granger was of the opinion that certain conditions would need to be outlined by members of the JOPP, which could result in him surrendering the presidency of a broad coalition. Speaking at his first party press briefing as the PNCR presidential candidate, Granger said he was aware of the JOPP engagements and while he declared that his line was no different than the party’s, he spoke firmly on the issue of leadership of the opposition coalition.
Corbin, for his part, pointed out that the PNCR has been in existence for 56 years and that they “are not going to stand still” when all the options are being considered with respect to the issue of who will lead the coalition. His position appeared to be in keeping with previous statements to the effect that the presidential candidate of the JOPP does not necessarily need to come from the PNCR.
Granger, in addressing the issue, clearly stated that he is obliged to seek the views of party members on the issue, particularly those who elected him, since they also want to be informed of any engagement in which the party will enter. Granger declared that the persons who elected him did not elect the Prime Ministerial Candidate and would obviously want an answer to the question he raised with respect to the conditions regarding him not leading the JOPP. “…After going through a six-month process to elect someone, they would want to know what conditions exist for that presidential candidate to surrender this position within the coalition,” he said.
The door is not closed, he said, but he emphasised that his line of questioning is what democracy is about. “The PNCR remains committed to the process, but we are equally committed to our members and what that process means for them, and the way they will be represented in this country over the next five years,” he said.
He made reference to certain statements reportedly carried in the press with respect to some JOPP members raising concerns over statements he made, saying that he had no discussions with anyone on the issue “as yet.” According to Granger people need not paraphrase him since they could simply ask his views, which he is willing to share and clarify. “All my statements have emphasised commitment to the process,” he said of the JOPP coalition.
On the issue of his running mate, Granger said that it is still too early. However, he repeated an earlier statement about having a woman on the ticket, saying that since women constitute half of the population “they have a right to be equally considered.” Still, he added that the decision is not exclusively his to make.
