Chairperson of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Volda Lawrence has endorsed a statement issued by members of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) critisising party leader David Granger and General Secretary Amna Ally for ignoring collective decisions.
“The CEC is the decision making body between the General Council and Congress hence it has the power to call meetings and make statements. The Statement issued is legitimate and correct. The matter was discussed at our last CEC where both the Leader and General Secretary were present and they, like all members present, did not object to the CEC Decision. I therefore endorse the statement by the CEC,” Lawrence communicated to Stabroek News via her campaign manager James Bond.
Lawrence is expected to be among the challengers for the post of leader whenever the PNCR holds its overdue Biennial Congress.
The CEC members’ statement, which was issued on Thursday minutes before the 10th anniversary celebration of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), has also been endorsed by Richard Van West Charles and former General Secretary Aubrey Norton. Both of these men have also expressed their willingness to contest for the post of party leader “if nominated” at the impending party Congress.
The statement specifically noted 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 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.”
In his address at the anniversary event on Thursday, Granger twice acknowledged the two contested parties, declaring that APNU encourages the formation of small parties.
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.”
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, it has not been presented to the CEC more than three months since its submission.
In Thursday’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.”
