By Khadidjah Ba
Two days after a controversial 22nd Biennial Con-gress, re-elected him, PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton on Tuesday told Stabroek News that any consensus presidential candidate representing the opposition next year will have to come from within the party.
Norton emphasized inclusivity of all persons within the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) in the selection of a consensus presidential candidate.
“I wouldn’t close the door to anyone,” he stated. He likened the party’s dominant position within the current A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition to a majority shareholder in a business, advocating for the PNCR’s right to lead based on its extensive grassroots support and organizational efforts. Sections of APNU have said that they conducted new elections and replaced Norton but the PNCR Leader has rejected this.
When asked about his consideration of the AFC’s newly elected Leader, Nigel Hughes as a possible Consensus Candidate, Norton said “The PNCR is the largest party in the coalition, and I don’t know that in a business if you have 90% of the shares you allow people with 10% of the shares to be in charge of the business. And so, I think that the PNCR members have worked hard, they have been rebuilding and resharing the party’s popularity and it is only right that the PNCR exercises that right to be the Presidential candidate.”