The PNCR leadership elections are a foregone conclusion

Jun 23, 2024 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – This weekend, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), the main opposition party in Guyana, will hold its highly anticipated Congress. This event will see elections for the leadership of the party.

The PNCR will get the leader it deserves. None of the contenders for leadership have publicly disassociated himself or herself from the controversial stance of the party during the first five months following the 2020 general and regional elections. This stance not only brought the party into international disrepute but created huge problems internally for the then leader.

The 2020 General and Regional Elections cast a long shadow over the PNCR. The party’s handling of the elections, led to a mutiny against David Granger, the former leader who had successfully brought the party out of two decades in opposition. Granger’s achievement and his forging of an electoral partnership and later coalition government have never been given the recognition they deserve. No other leader in the PNCR was ever able to achieve what Granger did. And yet, he was turned against within his party.

Granger’s exit from the PNCR’s leadership and active politics did not quell the factionalism which he complained about. Instead, it fragmented the party further.

At the last Congress, the outgoing leader cautioned against the rising tide of factionalism within the party. His retirement has only seen this factionalism deepen, leading to an ugly and contentious battle for the present leadership. The situation has become rife with desperate measures and a flurry of nasty and uncomradely accusations being levelled.

Despite this turmoil, the outcome of the elections is predictable. Aubrey Norton and his slate are poised to emerge victorious. The challengers to Norton’s leadership are expected to be drubbed.

One distinguishing feature of the PNCR’s internal politics is its relatively democratic process of nominations for leadership. Party groups are allowed to nominate individuals for leadership positions before the Congress. This is far more democratic compared to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP. The PPP follows a more communist-styled centralized process, in which the Congress elects the Central Committee, which in turn selects an Executive Committee to act as the leadership body between Central Committee meetings.

This nomination process within the PNCR means that the number of nominations received by a candidate can be a reliable indicator of that person’s support base. Delegates from nominating groups are likely to vote for the individuals they nominated, making the prediction of Norton’s victory, based on nominations, a reasonable assumption.

But this is not to suggest that the elections process is free from taint. The PNCR would not be the PNCR if its elections were free of controversy. Most of its previous congresses in recent times were subject to charges and counter charges about irregularities.

Already there are concerns about the short period of preparation for Congress, the transparency of the process of determining the number of delegates to the Congress. Despite other concerns about the representation of some party groups and other internal issues, including the membership database, Norton’s lead in nominations suggests a clear path to leadership.

Externally, the party’s reputation has suffered. The allegations of election misconduct have tarnished the PNCR’s image on the international stage, leading to a loss of credibility. But this history is unlikely to influence the dynamics at the upcoming Congress. It is not likely that there will be any radical policy shifts or significant changes in direction of the party emerging out of this week’s Congress.

The larger questions to be answered at this Congress is whether the party will endorse Aubrey Norton as its presidential candidate for the 2020 elections or whether it will identify a consensus candidate or establish a mechanism to choose either. Another question is how the internal struggles will affect the party’s performance at next year’s elections. Yet, another concern would be whether the existing factionalism can be turned into a positive force to redefine the party.

Factionalism and disunity could potentially weaken the party’s cohesion and effectiveness in mounting a robust campaign against the PPP/C. The ongoing divisions and the legacy of the 2020 elections could lead to some loss of voter confidence and support.

However, it is not anticipated that the PNCR will be entirely devastated at the polls next year. While the party is expected to suffer some fallout, it retains a substantial base of support.  But the party will have to accept that it will remain in the Opposition between 2025 and 2030 – a logical price for its role in attempting to subvert the democratic will of the people in the 2020 polls.

Factionalism within the PNCR can be harnessed to redefine the party. But this form of positive factionalism has to be based on policy differences rather than jostling for leadership. By pivoting towards issue-based factions, the party become more inclusive and entertain a range of perspectives. Policy-driven factions can enhance internal democracy by giving members a platform to advocate for specific issues, leading to more representative policy-making and consensus decision-making that strengthens the party’s overall appeal and effectiveness going forward.

The Congress this weekend will set the stage for the PNCR’s future. For better or worse, the party will get exactly what it deserves. It will either inherit the wind or adapt and change, if it can.

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• conclusion, Guyana, Peeping Tom, People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), PNCR

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