Latest update May 20th, 2026 12:35 AM
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Never before have we seen our party in such disarray
DEAR EDITOR,
There was a letter in the newspaper some days ago talking about PNCR members still waiting to receive their membership cards. Party members are not only awaiting their membership cards but are also awaiting the go-ahead to start nominations.
Usually Nominations would be sent out six to eight weeks before Congress for members to nominate who they will want to fill the 15-member Central Executive Committee. This committee includes the Leader, Chairman and Vice Chairman and committee members. After Nominations are sent to the groups, meetings are called and the members will discuss and deliberate. After this is done, a list of nominees is compiled and submitted to the regional leadership. The regional leaders will send the groups’ lists to Congress Place.
After Congress Place receives the nominations from the regions, the Secretariat will go through all the lists and verify if the nominees are members of the party, dues are current, and they have met the requirement period as a member to be nominated. After eligibility is verified, Congress Place then sends a letter to each member informing them of the nomination, requesting if they will accept or decline, with a deadline given to respond. Some members’ respond accepting nomination, some decline nomination and some do not respond. Those who decline nomination are not on the National list. Those who accept nomination go onto this list. Those who do not respond, their names are placed on this list to give them the opportunity to withdraw on Election Day or run for the position they are nominated to. This is a lot of work to be done.
Congress is July 25-27, and never before have we seen the party in such disarray. Somehow you get the feeling that the Secretariat is unprepared. This is very disturbing. Beyond us knowing the dates for Congress, members know nothing else about what is happening for Congress. Members are really troubled why we are being kept in the dark and why regular party protocols are not being applied to this congress.
Some of us are hearing there is a list circulating who will be on the Central Executive. Some have seen this list. The 18-man list that is in circulation is Brigadier David Granger for Leader, Basil Williams for Chairman and Volda Lawrence and Dr. George Norton for Vice Chairmen. I read in Demerara Waves Aubrey Norton is also eyed for the leadership. Nothing is wrong with these names because the party allows everybody to run once they meet the requirements, but we have to nominate them. What I do not understand is why members are not being sent the paperwork for Nominations so they can have an input and nominate who they want to serve in the executive.
From the Founder Leader Forbes Burnham, to Desmond Hoyte and Robert Corbin, members were given the opportunity at group level to nominate persons to be on the central executive. These nominations were sent out early like 6-8 weeks before congress. This is how the party always functioned, but we don’t know if the secretariat is being tardy, there are new rules, who made these rules, and who authorised the change of the rules.
When you call Congress Place asking for information persons claim not to know, are hostile or are giving you the royal runaround. No one seems to know what is going on and getting through the eye of a needle is easier than getting in touch with the leadership. Members need two things to make this congress possible, their membership cards and nomination go-ahead.
Winston Paul
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