While making it clear that he was not calling the elections, Aubrey Norton last night said that by all indications he was well positioned to win the seat of Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).
“Based on the information at our disposal, I would become the leader of the [PNCR],” Norton said during an interview with the Stabroek News at the party’s Congress Place, Sophia headquarters last night as the counting of votes cast at the party’s 21st Biennial Delegates Congress continued.
Up to press time this morning, no official results had been released and Chief Election Officer Vincent Alexander reported that the tabulation for the final declaration had not started.
Some 3000 delegates were expected to vote in the elections for the party’s Leader, Chairman, 2 Vice-Chair, Treasurer and the 15 member Central Executive Committee (CEC). The most hotly contested post was that of Leader and saw Norton squaring off with Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon and Dr Richard Van-West Charles.
Voting took place at 13 locations across the country and in North America. The PNCR said it was forced to conduct the congress using a hybrid system – virtual and in-person – because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result, there were 13 electoral centres, 4 in Region 4 – one on the East Bank of Demerara, one in Central Georgetown and two on the East Coast of Demerara – and one each in the remaining 9 Administrative Regions. The polls opened at 11 am and closed at 7 pm, with the exception of Region Five which got a late start and ultimately a late close.
Region Eight was the first region to complete the voting process and send in its results.
While Norton claimed an “unassailable lead”, Alexander reported just after 23:00 hrs that the counts were almost completed but the tabulation of results had not yet started.
“It’s unfortunate that that form which it (the count) is on, is not available to the public at large because if it were available, they would see that the count is ongoing. The count is still ongoing because the last category to be counted is that of the Central Executive and there are 123 persons who contested and it’s a very tedious counting process,” he reported.
“As Chief Elections Officer, I undertake to provide the preliminary declaration of the results the soonest and that may well be early in the morning. No one is in a position at this point in time to declare the result because no one is in possession of all of the information required for that declaration. As soon as that information is available there will be one composite declaration, preliminary albeit, to be made to the public at large,” he added.
Alexander urged the public not to speculate about the results before adding that as CEO only he is in the position to provide credible results for the elections. He further advised that if anyone releases results it would be mere speculation since they are not in the possession of the count for all polling stations. “I will be giving the real results, result from the tabulation. No tabulation has been done bringing all of those disparate results together as yet but that should be completed overnight (or) early into the new day,” he said.
Alexander also reported that the voting process was smooth and transparent.
Victory for the people
During an interview with Stabroek News at just around 22:00 hrs, Norton explained that the basis of his projection came from the information sent in by his polling agents at all the polling stations.
“At this stage, most of the counts on the Leader are in and I believe I have an unassailable lead. I don’t think anybody can catch me but I don’t want us to deal with it as it is some victory. It is a basis for us to reach out to all of us who were involved in the elections and to begin the process of uniting the party and preparing it to take on the People’s Progressive Party which is what our major objective is,” he explained.
When questioned on the process, Norton said that there will always be hiccups with every election but there were no severe issues. He added that the process, employed by the PNCR, is one that is new to Guyana’s political sphere and is a testament to the party’s commitment to a democratic process.
He further stated that they have allowed the democratic processes within the party to prevail and that is critical in realizing that the members of political parties want to choose their leaders and not have leaders chosen for them.
Sharing some of the numbers he received, as of 10 pm, Norton revealed “the single largest region is Region 4. In all three areas in Region 4, based on what my scrutineers have sent me, we have a lead that cannot be caught. In Georgetown, I have 230, Harmon 39 and Van-West Charles with 9. On the East Coast, I have 61, Harmon 1, Van-West Charles 1. On the East Bank, it is a similar kind of lead.
“When I look at the regions, that information has been brought to me about, in Region 1, I gather I won it, Region 2 won it, Region 3 with a very large lead. I am still waiting on regions 5 and 6. Region 7 as I understand it Mr Harmon won, he got 20 and I got 10. Region 8, I won, I got 14, Harmon got 3. Region 9, I got 49, Harmon 17 and Van-West Charles 9. In Region 10 I have 70 and the combined 2 didn’t make 35.”
He said that it is his intention to work with every member of the party to strategically position the PNCR to win the seat of power.
“I don’t see this as a victory over Harmon, a victory over Van-West Charles. I see it as the party membership giving me the mandate to work with everybody in this party to achieve our objectives,” he explained.
According to Norton, the projected victory is not one for him but for the people. “I believe it is a victory for the people in the party. A lot of persons in the party said to me that I should run, they felt it was my time, so really and truly I was just acceding to the will of the people and the general public and so it is a victory for them rather than a victory for me. For me the task ahead is to take this enthusiasm and fervour and build it into a force that can deal with the People’s Progressive Party, which in my opinion is trampling the rights of our people at this stage,” he said.
Both Norton and Harmon campaigned using a slate of people they thought would best fit the hierarchy of the party. However, the possibility of an entire slate being elected is one that seems to be far out of reach. Reacting to that, Norton said that while his entire slate is important since they would have already agreed to a common vision and some policies, he is prepared to work with everybody. He added that even if his entire slate is elected, he would still include other people, with the capabilities, in key roles within the hierarchy.
“A slate in my opinion on who the leader thinks you should vote on but it is not set in stone, you need flexibility, accommodation and compromise to achieve the objectives you set out on,” he said.
During his final address to the congress as leader, Granger spoke extensively about change and combatting “factionalism” within the party. When asked about how he would address the issue, Norton explained that political parties are always a reflection of different interests and that different interests tend to produce different groups which are sometimes called factions. He added that for him, it is about understanding those interests, managing them and bringing them together in achieving the common objective.
“…In differences there are positives and negatives but it is a question of how you manage it. I believe a leader has to be involved in conflict management, conflict resolution and I will move on the path of seeking to resolve conflicts, resolve differences and place the party on a path to achieving its objectives in the best-unified form possible,” Norton pledged.
The PNCR’s congress was held after much delay owing to the pandemic and the protracted elections process of 2020.
