Aubrey Norton, Vincent Alexander: The sadness of a nation

Jul 29, 2014 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

Here is an incident with Aubrey Norton I always conjure up in my mind when his name hits the spotlight. Our most erudite son (for those too young to know; one of the most brilliant lawyers the world produced) JOF Haynes came up to me and with his peculiar gesticulations, asked me into his office.
He said, “Freddie, I know you question everything at the Faculty Board (Social Science Faculty Board at UG) and make a noise about everything so I need to talk to you about something.” JOF (as all Guyanese fondly called him) said he was going to present an altered grade from B to A for Aubrey Norton and he thinks that I am the only one that is going to object. He said it was perfectly legitimate because looking back at Norton’s performance in the course, he was an A student. Then JOF said Norton is a very bright student who deserved an A grade.
I had no objection for two reasons. First, if JOF said so that was sufficient for me. Secondly, I know Norton was a first class student. I got to know Norton better years later and indeed he has an admirable analytical mind, I think only matched by Vincent Alexander in the PNC the last thirty years.
It was with sadness that I read that he is in contemplation about leaving the PNC. If that happens then with the long departure of Vincent Alexander, the PNC may never be the same again. Whatever the PNC becomes from hereon, the PNC will remain a weak organization because of the loss of personnel like Alexander. Now Norton. Guyana is indeed a sad place.
There is one thing about Norton I respect and that is Norton has respect for his own intellect over his ideology. Norton lets you know plainly that he is an academic and he puts his intellectual analysis above ideological propaganda. Against this background he remains the only substantial PNC stalwart who would sit around a table with you and concede that Burnham was an authoritarian leader but would argue in the same breath that Burnham was a fantastic achiever.
I have never seen this with any other person in the PNC leadership since 1985 when Burnham died. All you get from these people is the most immature, inane and embarrassing denials of the autocratic things Burnham has done. It becomes so pointless that you want to leave. Not so with Norton. He would concede one against Burnham. Then he would defy you on some of your castigations against Burnham.
The declarations by Carl Greenidge last Sunday about the state of the electoral arrangements at PNC’s congresses together with Norton’s sad reflections have damaged the PNC badly, and Mr. Granger in the process. Mr. Granger is a man of integrity and it is the one thing that there is consensus in Guyana about Mr. Granger.
I would go so far as to say that outside of the wonderfully good leaders I know in the AFC, Mr. Granger has no match in the PPP for nationalism and integrity. Therefore, it is incumbent on Mr. Granger to ensure that what transpired Sunday afternoon at the PNC congress does not tarnish his national standing.
This is the second congress that respected PNC stalwarts have laid charges of delegate tampering. Only Faith Harding has come out openly and made that accusation. I don’t believe even for a fleeting moment that Ms. Harding would have polled more votes than either Granger, Greenidge or Basil Williams but what she should be judged on are the facts in her accusation.
This columnist was told by two persons deep in the PNC leadership who confided in me that the voting in the previous congress was not above board. Now in 2014, two leading national names in politics are echoing that fear – Norton and Greenidge. It comes at a time when the PNC does not need that kind of stain.
It would seem that certain Western countries have come around to the idea that the PPP is a dead historical force and the PNC should be given its chance to be in government.
For a long time now, certain Western countries stuck with the PPP because there were enormous hesitations about whether the PNC had changed sufficiently to be trusted in government. With the last election results and under Granger’s leadership, these governments have accepted that the PNC may be able to do better in government than the PPP. Now look what has happened. The PNC press release that the PPP used elements to disrupt the congress obviously points to Norton, Solomon and others. Is the PNC losing it?

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Aubrey Norton, Vincent Alexander: The sadness of a nation

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