GUTTER-LIKE ABUSE OF STATE MEDIA: PNCR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PROCESS ALIVE AND WELL”

Feb 06, 2011 APNU Column, Features / Columnists

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The continued abuse of the State Media (NCN Radio and Television and the Guyana Chronicle) by the PPP dictatorship reached gutter-like proportions over this week-end by their deliberate attempt to spread vile propaganda and false information about the Presidential Candidate Process of the PNCR.
The NCN Radio and TV carried an alleged news story of dissention among the Presidential nominees of the PNCR and that two of the candidates, including retired Head of the GDF, David Granger, would be withdrawing from the nomination process over alleged differences with the leader of the PNCR.
The PNCR Candidate Process Committee, however, has categorically stated that the information published as news by the NCN is a total fabrication and has no bearing on truth.
The Committee has further stated that the process approved by the Party for identification of a Presidential candidate is alive and well as the programme of Town Hall meetings continue across the country.
Ironically, while NCN was engaged in this public mischief, the very candidates were participating in the Town Hall Meeting at Linden, which was one of the largest attended so far in the series of meetings.
At the conclusion of that meeting at Linden, Granger, himself, in response to an inquiry from a journalist  and in the presence of representatives of NCN, debunked the story as false, but the NCN persisted in its mischief.
DEMOCRATIC AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS
The PNCR GENERAL COUNCIL, on July 10, 2010, held extensive discussion on the issue of identification of a Presidential candidate both in the context of an Alliance or in the context of the PNCR facing the elections alone.
Following those extensive discussions the General Council of the Party approved a motion with respect to the methodology for identifying a presidential candidate. The motion resolved, inter alia, “that the PNCR’s Presidential candidate should be identified, as early as possible, by a transparent system that includes wide consultation with bona-fide Party members, groups and supporters;  that the process to be employed in arriving at a consensus Presidential Candidate should include:
The identification of an inclusive group appointed by the CEC by 31st August 2010 to conduct consultation with the Party members, Party groups and supporters;
The person selected to be the Presidential Candidate must have the full confidence of the membership of the PNCR, be of sound and unquestionable integrity, possess the skill, expertise and networking capability as well as command respect and support of  Guyanese generally;”
The General Council is the highest forum of the Party in the absence of Biennial Congress and it meets every three months.
On Wednesday, 10th November 2010, in keeping with the direction of that General Council,  the Central Executive Committee of the PNCR, approved the final recommendations for the system and procedures for the nomination of a Presidential Candidate for the PNCR for the 2011 General and Regional Elections. This information was circulated to the wider membership through the Party’s Regions and groups. The Party, in response to many requests, made this information available to the wider Guyanese society. In its statement to the media the Party stated,  “The Party wishes to emphasize, however, that the decision to identify a Presidential Candidate in no way detracts or changes the Party’s already stated position, that its first priority is to form a broad alliance or partnership with like minded organisations and persons to contest the 2011 Elections.
The need to identify a Presidential Candidate arose after the Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform, Mr. Robert H. O. Corbin, M.P., formally announced, at the first meeting of the Party General Council for 2010, on Saturday 27th March, that he would not be the Presidential Candidate for the Party for the 2011 National Elections.”
The Presidential Candidate Process Committee has since the approval of the process, meticulously supervised its implementation.
Between November 27 and December 4, 2010, Party Groups met to make and formally document their List of Nominees for the Party Presidential Candidate. Between December 5 and December 12, 2010, Regional Secretaries received the Group Nominations and subsequently convened Special Extended Regional Committee meetings, including a representative from each of the Groups which submitted nominations, to formally agree and document the Regional List of Nominees.
Where no functioning Regional Committee exists, the Party Group Chairman or Secretary sends its Group Nominations, in the specified format, directly to the General Secretary.
By December 19, 2010, the Regional Secretaries submitted their Regional List of Nominees, endorsed by all of the Group delegates attending the Special Extended Regional Committee meeting, to the Party’s General Secretary.
The Party’s General Secretary compiled the National List of Nominees who were subsequently asked to formally notify the Party General Secretary, in writing, their acceptance of the nomination.
The nominees who accepted their nomination were required to submit their CV and after approval were required to sign a code of conduct to guide their campaigning for the nomination.

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