-PNCR continuing to skip meetings
The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) yesterday issued a statement on rules for making decisions and frequency of meetings and it also noted that its founding member, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) has not been attending its gatherings..
In a statement yesterday, APNU set out its current status, changes that have occurred, decisions made, and future plans while explaining the circumstances that led to the decisions taken.
According to the party, it met on June 6, 2024 and deliberated on the major issue of no meetings being held since January 25, 2022. It then explained the reason behind subsequent decisions taken. “Recognizing that emails were sent on June 3 and June 5, 2024 to Mr. Aubrey Norton, MP requesting a meeting of the APNU on the 6th June and his non attendance, we were forced to make the decision that our stagnation for over two years needed to be rectified.”
APNU disclosed that its executive committee members agreed on June 6, that a new Chairman and General Secretary be elected for a period of six months or until consensus is reached on an alternative way forward. The executives then elected Vincent Henry MP, to the position of Chair and Tabitha Sarabo-Halley MP, to the position of General Secretary. Further, since those elections, two other executive meetings were held of which all executive members were invited. However, neither Aubrey Norton MP, nor a representative of the PNCR attended any of the three executive committee meetings held on June 6, July 15, and July 29.
The release expressed the hope that the PNCR would come to understand the importance of attending meetings “It must be noted here that the People’s National Congress Reform is an integral part of the APNU and as we continue to prepare for the 2025 elections we hope that the PNCR would find it necessary and important to attend meetings when those meetings are called.”
On June 8th, the PNCR issued a statement declaring that any purported election for APNU was null and void. APNU had been the brainchild of former PNCR Leader Robert Corbin. It was formed in July 2011 in order to contest the 2011 general elections and in addition to its main force, the PNCR, comprised smaller parties such as the Guyana Action Party, the Justice for All Party, the National Democratic Front and the Working People’s Alliance. APNU joined up with the AFC in 2015 and unseated the PPP/C government but before and after it lost office in 2020, it had been in disarray.
The PNCR, which said it held the position of chair and Norton was in the post, declared that he did not send out any notice for an APNU meeting or elections.
Yesterday, APNU went on to list several of the decisions made by its current and functioning executive body.
1) The APNU Executive shall meet at least once per quarter or more frequently if deemed necessary, to deliberate on any and all matters pertaining to the partnership.
2) Each Executive in the partnership is entitled to one vote on any matter that cannot be decided on by consensus. However, the chairman will have a casting vote.
3) The Chair is to be elected for a term of one year. There shall be no term limits.
4) The election of chair shall be held on a date to be determined in the first month of each new year.
5) A standard operating procedure/document titled “Responsibilities and duties of the Chair” will be prepared and signed by anyone who becomes Chair of the APNU.
6) Our second core principle (clause 2) informs us that: “Membership of the Coalition will be open to all Guyanese parties, organizations and citizens who subscribe to these core principles and to its social, political and economic programme.”
Therefore, the APNU will now consist of the Executive Committee, Associate Members and Individual Members’ components.
In addition, it noted that the Executive Committee is currently made up of the leaders of the political parties as part of the coalition. Non-governmental and civil society organisations have been Associate Members of the APNU, and this will continue.
According to APNU, the enacting of the Individual Membership Component of Clause 2 of the Core Principles is due to the recognition that many citizens including young people are desirous of being associated with and become supporters of the APNU. As such, the Executive shall in its own deliberate judgment, determine the eligibility of a representative from the Associate Members’ Component and/or the Individual Members’ Component to sit on the Executive Committee of the APNU.
It went on to explain that although the individual member’s principle has always been there, this aspect was never implemented. “Our understanding of the current electorate and the reality that a broadbased coalition will be necessary to ensure we have all like-minded individuals working together to regain government in 2025, have led us to believe that now is the best time to open up membership to individuals.”
The party also stated its belief that all must be involved in the process of nation-building. “We in the APNU are convinced that a positive transformation of Guyana can only be achieved by an inclusive electoral coalition built around the political parties, organized labour, farmers’ organizations, community based organizations, faith based organizations, civil society bodies and patriotic citizens committed to develop Guyana into a united, stable and prosperous nation where the well being of each citizen is assured, irrespective of ethnicity, social status, gender, or religion.”
Persons needing soft copies of membership forms can visit https://forms.gle/hBTwtWeuC7HW1aWw9 and interested persons who wish to become members can email the party at apnugy2025@gmail.com. All applications for membership will be vetted, the release added
