A row within the PNCR burst into the open yesterday with several central executive members insisting that its long-awaited congress will be held before the end of year and accusing party leader David Granger of acting as a “one-man” show.
Political analysts say that masked within an unsigned statement from members of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) is a power struggle for control of the party which would pit Granger against current party Chair Volda Lawrence.
Granger and his supporters in the party who include current Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon have been accused of trying to interminably delay the congress to avoid a leadership showdown with Lawrence. While Granger was returned as leader at the last Congress, Lawrence handily defeated former Chairman Basil Williams SC and Harmon in a three-way race for the post of Chair.
With the defeat of APNU+AFC – of which the PNCR is the major component – at the March 2nd 2020 general elections after a five-month delay in results – observers say Granger’s position has been severely weakened and attacks on his leadership have intensified.
Yesterday had been scheduled as a celebration of the 10th Anniversary of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the statement from an unnamed number of CEC members appeared intent on upturning these plans.
According to the statement released minutes before the live anniversary event, the members said that the party did not sanction Granger’s acceptance of “two shell parties”- the Equal Rights and Justice Party and the Guyana National Builders Movement – into APNU.
“The actions…. are without any doubt unconstitutional and an affront to the membership of our Party. He will not be allowed to reduce the PNCR into a One Man Show. We know nothing about these parties! They were never launched nationally, and we are unaware of what benefits they bring for the PNCR to even consider accepting them into the Partnership. That’s why we suspect them as shell parties,” the members declared while claiming that the CEC had directed Granger and General Secretary Amna Ally to put on hold any further involvement of the PNCR with the APNU until the status of that Partnership was fully discussed and decisions on the way forward are taken.
Despite this mandate, Granger publicly advertised that the PNCR has accepted these two parties as part of the APNU. The former President is accused of further disregarding a reminder by “affixing the symbols of these two non-approved parties onto a programme purported to be that of the APNU for its 10th Anniversary Celebrations.”
Triggered
This action apparently triggered the statement yesterday which was also ignored by the Party leader.
In his address at the anniversary event yesterday, Granger acknowledged the two contested parties, twice declaring that APNU encourages the formation of small parties.
“Happily we were able to welcome the Equal Rights and Justice Party (ERJ) and the Guyana Nation Builders Movement (GNBM) both of which are led by persons who have already served not only in the parties which left the partnership but also in the Coalition government,” he said.
APNU+AFC Parliamentarian Tabitha Sarabo who “leads” GNBM was prominently featured. ERJ leader Jaipaul Sharma was present as was Sydney Allicock of the Guyana Action Party and Keith Scott of the National Front Alliance.
The PNCR Chairperson Lawrence, who had not been selected for the current Parliament by Granger, was noticeably absent. As he began his presentation Granger looked for her among the attendees calling for her to be recognised before despondently noting “she’s not here.”
Attempts to reach Lawrence for comment failed as have attempts to reach most of the 15- member CEC. Stabroek News understands that the party structure does not allow for public statements from the CEC, rather it is the General Secretary who conveys to the public any decisions made by that body.
General Secretary Ally has repeatedly refused to respond to queries telling this newspaper that she will not discuss party matters in public.
Stabroek News was however able to make contact with Richard Van West-Charles, former General Secretary Aubrey Norton and Christopher Jones. Ganesh Mahipaul, another executive in a public statement indicated that he was not aware of any statement originating from the CEC which has not met in over a month.
Jones too indicated that the first he knew of the statement was when it was published by several media houses. He told Stabroek News that he does not endorse its contents and is actually looking forward to the next meeting scheduled for next week to have matters about the long delayed congress resolved.
“We had no meeting and no discussion which would’ve resulted in a statement being issued,” he indicated.
Van West-Charles and Norton have however both acknowledged the statement and said that they endorse the content. The two men have declined to offer any other comment on the matter.
The PNCR has been plagued in recent months by public dissent as Granger and Ally have refused to name a date for the overdue congress.
While the leader has indicated that a sub-committee established for the purpose submitted a report with guidelines and recommendations for the holding of the event under COVID-19 protocols, that report has not been presented to the CEC more than three months since its submission.
In yesterday’s statement, the “dissenting CEC” members addressed this, calling members to “come together, hold Congress, elect new leadership, and continue the development of this great Party to take back office at the next general and regional elections.”
It said that there have been meetings with the party’s membership across the country to inform them of the state of the Party and called for them to join in saving said Party.
“It is for this reason we are meeting to inform you that there will be a Congress before the end of this year. It is for this reason that we are meeting to let you know that there is a Congress Convening Sub-committee and work has begun in earnest to hold our overdue Congress,” the statement added.
All of this comes after protests in front of Congress Place by members of the party, repeated letters to the media from overseas members and the resignation of 25-year party veteran and executive member Thandi McAllister.
In a press statement at the time of her resignation last month, McAllister declared that the present direction of the leadership is ill-suited to the fulfillment of the aspirations of young people in Guyana, the enhancement of the party’s supporters, and the advancement of the nation.
Contacted yesterday for comment on this newest development McAllister declared that she has “no interest in the decision making process or the decisions made” by the party and therefore would not comment on same.
