Latest update March 27th, 2026 12:40 AM
Defections caused no significant damage to PNC in Region 10 – Solomon
Kaieteur News – Although receiving its sharpest blow at the recent general and regional elections, depleting any chance of the party securing government or maintaining its position as the main parliamentary opposition, outgoing Linden Mayor, Sharma Solomon said much harm has not come to the People’s National Congress-led APNU in Region 10.
In the lead up to the elections, the APNU was crippled by a spate of high-profile exits, which many believed damaged the general morale of the party. APNU now holds 12 parliamentary seats to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C) 36, and newcomer We Invest in Nationhood’s (WIN) 16.
Former Linden Mayor, Sharma Solomon
Solomon is among the new faces that will take up legislative roles in the National Assembly for the APNU. He succeeds former APNU Member of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira, who has since defected to PPP.
Weighing in on the predicament during his appearance on ‘The Countdown’, on Sunday, Sharma made clear his respect for persons’ political preferences. Prior to his departure, Figueira as an APNU MP, made representation for Region 10, and was very consistent in calling out the PPP for supposed failures in that region. The former MP is now radically opposed to APNU.
“I believe it’s a democratic and fundamental right of anyone to choose whatever political affiliation that they so desire. I have absolutely no problem with whoever, including Mr. Figueira, that would like to associate themselves with whatever party they want to.”
Figueira left APNU’s camp allegedly over untreated tensions between himself and leader, Aubrey Norton. After the bruising defeat at the polls, former finance minister Winston Jordan publicly mounted calls for Norton to resign. Solomon stressed that the party’s upcoming congress will be the ideal forum for selecting a new leader.
“I think it’s the prerogative of anyone to process loss in different ways, including the way Mr. Jordan would have processed his to express himself… but with reference to where I see things, I believe that it is important that a very clear process is in place that allows for the party to move back to having faith in what the party has always demonstrated through its constitution.”
Turning his attention to the party’s performance, Solomon dismissed claims that the PPP has become a major concern for the APNU in Region 10.
“Despite the heavy spending, despite restriction to State media, despite the use of State resources as opposed to the opposition having an opportunity to do that, and notwithstanding all those who would have crossed over, it was not enough for them to do more than they did in terms of winning votes at the RDC as seats, and also winning any votes in terms of putting them in the National Assembly,” Solomon asserted.
He acknowledged that his party should instead seek to recover from the major upset by political newcomer Azruddin Mohamed, whose WIN party was responsible for dislodging APNU in a region it traditionally held as its stronghold.
The incoming MP disclosed that the APNU leader is ensuring that a “comprehensive evaluation” is done to determine where or how the party struggled.
“There are many other issues that we can look at with regards to what occurred on September 1, 2025 and how that would have influenced the results and outcome of the elections, but I think it starts with that…a very comprehensive, insightful and honest evaluation so that we know not only the issues, but we can diagnose them to the extent that we understand what went wrong and how to correct them,” Solomon stated.
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