Former PNCR General Secretary Aubrey Norton yesterday said he has not been approached to fill the vacancy among the opposition-nominated commissioners on the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom).
On Monday, Stabroek News had reported that Norton was set to fill the vacancy left by Robert Williams following information from a usually reliable source who had said that APNU had indicated that they were supporting Norton as against David Patterson, who is the AFC’s recommendation.
“I have no knowledge about any such thing and no one has spoken to me about it. I learnt about it when I read it in the newspaper, I learnt about it in the same manner [as] any other Guyanese,” Norton told Stabroek News when contacted.
And Norton said even if he were nominated by APNU, his understanding is that he would have been disqualified since that seat is supposed to be filled by a nominee of a smaller party. Robert Williams had been nominated by The United Force.
With Norton being a member of the PNCR, he would not qualify. Sources that Norton was also not interested in this position.
Meanwhile, APNU Leader David Granger also denied the party was putting forward Norton’s name to fill the vacancy.
He said during consultations with the AFC that party had indeed nominated David Patterson to fill the vacancy but his “consultations are much broader,” since the partnership is made up of some “ten parties and I have to consult with all my colleagues.”
Sources had told Stabroek News that if APNU had supported Norton for the seat, then it would have put further strain on the relations between APNU and AFC, which have been tense after APNU withdrew support for budget cuts proposed by the AFC last week and entered private discussions with President Donald Ramotar and other government officials.
The AFC believes strongly that its nominee should hold the position.
On Saturday, Granger had told Stabroek News that APNU had completed consultations with the AFC on filling the vacancy and that they had settled on a person to take up the position left vacant after the death of Robert Williams.
“I have completed my consultations and we hope an announcement could be made [shortly],” Granger had said. “We spoke with the AFC and they have made a recommendation,” he had added but was not prepared to reveal the name.
It is unclear if APNU accepts the proposition that Williams’ seat should be filled by a nominee from the smaller party in Parliament – the AFC.
It was suggested that APNU was supporting Norton for the position as a consolation after he was surprisingly left out of parliament by the coalition—a situation that had caused some disquiet among supporters of the PNCR, the largest constituent of APNU. Norton has had an acrimonious relationship with the leadership of the party, and in particular current PNCR leader Robert Corbin.
