The elephant is in the room

Jun 29, 2024 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – Aubrey Norton’s address at the Opening Ceremony of the 22^nd Congress of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) left many with unanswered questions. He focused heavily on the state of the country’s economy, critiquing the PPPC government as “corrupt and incompetent.”

This is likely to be the PNCR’s tagline going into to next year’s General and Regional Elections. The issue of corruption has always been the Achilles Heel of the PPPC government but it can hardly be cited for being incompetent relative to the performance of the PNCR during its tenure in government.

The Leader of the PNCR outlined his party’s plans for a just, inclusive, and prosperous future for Guyana. It was a well-articulated presentation. But there was a glaring omission in his speech. Norton barely touched on the serious internal divisions within his own party. His failure to effectively address these issues was a significant shortcoming of his address to the Congress.

Factionalism within the PNCR is not new. It has been a persistent problem that has plagued the party for years. Norton’s attempt to downplay this issue by suggesting that the party should be careful about airing its business in public is not enough. Ignoring these divisions will not help the party achieve its ultimate goal: winning the next general and regional elections.

 In fact, the opposite is true. Unless the factionalism is addressed, it can weaken the party. In a previous column I had suggested that the factionalism can be transformed for the benefit of the party which is yet to clarify its ideological position.

The current Congress has been besieged by accusations regarding the transparency of the election process. Concerns over the delegates’ list have been particularly troubling. Two candidates for leadership withdrew at the last moment, citing transparency issues. The party has promised a fair and transparent voting process, but it has not effectively addressed the concerns about how delegates were selected and identified. This has been a recurring issue at previous congresses and remains a sore point.

The controversy surrounding this congress was further fueled by the resignation of the General Secretary on the eve of the event. She alleged that she was being alienated from certain processes leading up to the Congress. She also made other troubling allegations.

In such a contentious atmosphere, it was expected that Norton would spend more time in his address discussing what needs to be done to forge a strong and united party. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

It was surprising that Norton did not address the issue of the PNCR’s role within A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), especially considering the recent events where APNU held elections without the involvement of the PNCR, its main political constituency. This significant exclusion raised questions about the unity and collaboration between the coalition partners, and it was expected that Norton would shed light on this matter and outline steps to ensure stronger cohesion within the alliance. Ignoring such a critical issue only adds to the perception of division and lack of clear direction within the party.

Addressing internal divisions is crucial for any political party. The PNCR cannot afford to ignore this issue if it hopes to be successful in future elections. Norton’s speech should have focused more on how to bring the party together. The divisions within the party could potentially weaken it and undermine its chances of winning at the polls. But factionalism could also be used to transform the party into a more ideologically-plural party.

The leadership had promised that the voting process will be transparent and fair. However, it has not done enough to address concerns about the delegates’ representation. The same issue was a major problem at previous congresses. The PNCR needs to learn from past mistakes and ensure that the process is transparent from start to finish, and not just in terms of the voting. For a party which wants a new national voters’ list not to address concerns about its delegates’ list reeks of double standards.

If the elections to positions of leadership are going to be mired in controversy, it will affect the legitimacy and credibility of the new executive. One solution could be to postpone the elections to a separate special congress

There is no reason why the present Congress cannot today move a resolution to have elections postponed to a special congress, pending a forensic audit of the membership list and the process of identifying delegates to the Congress. This would allow more time to address the concerns about delegates’ representation. It would also provide an opportunity to ensure that the entire congress process is fair and transparent.

The Council of Elders was asked to investigate an allegation against the party’s leader. It is surprising that it has not intervened to ensure that the concerns of the candidates are addressed. This is not too late to do so. The congress can still make a decision to postpone the elections and take the necessary steps to ensure transparency.

The PNCR’s goal is to win the next general and regional elections. The divisions within the party are a significant obstacle. Downplaying this issue will not make it go away. It will only fester and potentially weaken the party’s chances of success.

The PNCR, however, cannot win the next general and regional elections. The ‘jumbie bird’ of its attempt to rig the 2020 general and regional elections will hover over and haunt the party’s electoral path. But at least it can make a break with its past conduct of electoral shenanigans at both the national level and at the level of the party.

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• 22nd Congress of the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR), Elections, Peeping Tom, PPPC, room

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