Western diplomats hold talks with PNCR

Jun 11, 2025 News

Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton along with members of his party and the diplomats

Kaieteur News – Ambassador of the ABC countries and their counterpart of the European Commission met with Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton and several other executives of the PNCR on Tuesday.

It is not clear what the diplomats and the PNCR executives discussed. In a brief statement on their facebook page Head of the Delegation of the European Union in Guyana, Ambassador, Rene van Nes, would only say that he joined his ABC colleagues for a meeting with Norton and other executive members of the party. Yesterday’s meeting with Norton and the diplomats followed talks he had with the Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) on Monday at Congress Place in Sophia. That meeting focused on IDEA’s ongoing voter education programme, which is actively collaborating with the Guyana Elections Commission. The meeting was attended by the PNCR’s General Secretary – Sherwin Benjamin, CEC – Members, Ganesh Mahipaul and Mervyn Williams. In a press release PNCR said representing IDEA were: Programme Officer, Junior Paul Chanderpaul, and Ambassador Marcelo Varela-Erasheba, Programme Manager.

During the meeting, the IDEA team provided a detailed update on the programme’s progress, highlighting key initiatives and strategies aimed at enhancing voter understanding and participation. The discussion encompassed various aspects of voter education, including outreach methods, content development, and partnerships with key stakeholders. PNCR representatives expressed their appreciation for IDEA’s commitment to the voter education programme and raised critical concerns.

Meanwhile, during their weekly news conference last week the PNCR said that now an election date has been set, the APNU Coalition of which it is part of is calling on all Guyanese to set aside ethnic and political differences and vote for their happiness and well-being. “Guyanese aspire to live a comfortable life, without the daily hassles of trying to make ends meet and trying to stretch their dollars. They want living wages and a livable income,” the PNCR said.

According to the party, after four oil budgets under the PPP (with the last two budgets surpassing a trillion dollars), living conditions have only gotten worse and hope among the people has dwindled. “We in the APNU Coalition are offering policies and programmes that will take the people of Guyana out of poverty, put resources in their hands, and remove the unnecessary everyday hassle, including those that have emerged from a lack of a road infrastructure development plan, which has resulted in a nightmare for the traveling public,” the statement added. “We would not be surprised that when Guyanese go to the polling stations, they will vote against the on-going poverty and economic hardships, the high cost of living, the corruption that channels their money into the hands of PPP friends, families and favorites; and against the reality that the country’s oil wealth is not reaching them.”

According to the PNCR, the campaign of the APNU Coalition will focus on convincing Guyanese “that we can bring hope, prosperity, and happiness to their lives. We will focus on convincing Guyanese that we will put them first and ensure the country’s oil wealth gets into their hands, purses, wallets, and bank accounts. We will campaign on guaranteeing all households a livable income, free from financial uncertainties. With our oil wealth, the APNU Coalition believes Guyana can become one of the best countries to live in. The PPP has had its chance with four oil budgets and has failed. Come September 1^st, we will ask the voters to vote for us, as we are well equipped to deliver to them a high-quality life. We will ask voters to let us show what we mean by putting people first,” the statement concluded.

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Aubrey Norton, European Union, Junior Paul Chanderpaul, Marcelo Varela-Erasheba, PNCR, Western diplomats

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