Dear Editor,
Aubrey Norton has done more than thrown his hat into the ring for PNC leader. He has been selling himself as the man to lead comrades and party out of the political wilderness in which it has been mired, for over a year now, if not since that fateful successful ‘no confidence’ motion in December 2018. From my perspective, he has more than signaled his intentions and sold himself, he is the frontrunner for that coveted leadership position of the PNC. Mr. Norton, whom I have never met, has several positives going for him. Regrettably, there are some significant negatives, too, real and perceived, that weigh heavily against his successful candidacy. He is a tried and trusted man of the party, which alone is worth its weight in gold, can’t be beat. Also, Mr. Norton’s tenure in the Foreign Service should have given him priceless insights on the culture of the international community, and the studied diplomacy integral to it. It does not hurt that his stint as a Foreign Service Officer gives him (or should have) a cosmopolitan flair. I have my doubts, as to how much he intends to practice in the patient and urbane etiquette of that top hatted and frocked community.
Moreover, what has been a showstopper for others before, does not apply to Mr. Norton. He is Afro-Guyanese to the core. In a party as Afro-centric as the PNC, Mr. Norton looks unbeatable, and this takes on extraordinary muscle, when the current crop of leaders is taken into account. To put in polite terms, there is dismay and disenchantment with both former Presi-dent David Granger, and to an even worse degree with incumbent Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Joseph Harmon. The disgruntlement is severe. Also, I mention Leader of the Opposition, because that is where and what the Leader of the PNC almost automatically escalates. I think, as a rank outsider, one unprejudiced by passions, that Mr. Norton has emerged from the pack of contenders and has transformed himself into the man that can’t be stopped, one that has what it takes to stir the faithful. He says hard things, emotionally inspiring things, psychologically appealing ones that resonate within the PNC, which feel that the party leadership has been too passive, too torn by malaise. In a nutshell, I don’t think that Mr. Norton has any bona fide competition in a fair race for PNC leadership.
At this point, I think it is appropriate to speak to the negatives that accompany Mr. Norton, makes him come across as man more to be feared, than one garnering the wide and deep respect. While he may be the man most likely to succeed in the PNC, the features that power Mr. Norton’s candidacy are his Achilles heels; the plural ‘heels’ is relevant. Candidly, Mr. Norton comes over as too much of an Africanist, irrelevant for PNC potential leader, but not so for wider, diverse, and very polarized Guyana. To too many Indians, others also, Mr. Norton as a person and possible national political leader comes across, as one of those notorious African dictators of old. He may think he is possessing of Foreign Service suavity, but there is the picture of him that Indians can’t shake, will refuse to dispel. I add that his recent rhetoric both here and abroad has not helped his cause in the local environment. It may be unfair to the man and candidate, but the political prejudices of this society can be bitter and unsparing, with neither principle nor honor of much utility. I should know. He has his work cut out for him to allay fears to win the cross-sectional support needed to top the national leadership pile. Regardless, Mr. Norton will be subject to the worse of naked passions, his specter will be used to drive fears-possibly misplaced, but definitely exploited-to reduce national leadership aspirations to continuing second place. When national leadership visions are thwarted, then his party’s governmental visions suffer, and just because he is the leader.
Further, when personal aspirations and party visions collide with unmoving roadblocks, temperateness and restraints are sacrificed; the worst is what this candidate is believed to represent. At least, this is the perception from the outside of the PNC. Despite this admittedly limited sketch of Mr. Norton, I am uncertain as to whether PNC comrades are ready to run these risks, they are big ones. Notice that I say nothing about the possible temperature and reception of the United States (forget the alphabet) to a possible Aubrey Norton led PNC. It is a short step to Opposition Leader, a bigger one to the ultimate, meaning, leader of Guyana. In Mr. Norton’s favour, I say this: if the United States and international community can manage Guyana’s President, with a straight face and an iron stomach, then Mr. Norton should have less trouble than I anticipate. This much said, I close here: Mr. Aubrey Norton’s candidacy for leader of the PNC is one to watch and one on which to bet. My money is on him. From there, the rest is up in the air, and things could get rather unsteady.
Sincerely,
GHK Lall