APNU announces new MPs

…as Norton moves to rebuild APNU, investigate party’s declining support
-Chris Jones, Ferguson, Lawrence, Roysdale Forde get the boot
-Only PNCR, WPA out of seven coalition partners given seats

Opposition party A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) on Friday officially announced the persons that will take up the party’s 12 seats in the 13th Parliament, with half of the line-up made up of new faces, including businessman Terrence Campbell, who has been announced as the one that will be leading the party’s charge in Parliament.
The newcomers also include controversial Working People’s Alliance (WPA) Executive David Hinds, as well as teacher Riaz Rupnarain, Attorney Dexter Todd, gospel singer and entrepreneur Saiku Andrews, and Lindener Sharma Solomon.

The list includes the party’s former Prime Ministerial candidate, Jurethra Fernandes, a former member of the Alliance for Change (AFC), as well as her fellow defector, Sherod Duncan, both seasoned parliamentarians, whose switch proved beneficial after the AFC failed to amass enough votes at the September 1 General and Regional Elections to earn a seat in the National Assembly.
Also heading back to the floor are Coretta McDonald, Vice Chairperson of PNCR Vinceroy Jordan, and party stalwarts Ganesh Mahipaul and Nima Flue-Bess.

Those notably absent from the list include the party’s former Chief Whip, Christopher Jones; former Minister of Public Works Annette Ferguson; former Minister of Health Volda Lawrence; and Attorney Roysdale Forde, who was absent from the APNU campaign trail over the past few months. Vincent Henry of the Guyana Action Party (GAP) was also given the boot.

The new MPs were announced by APNU Chairman, Aubrey Norton, during the party’s weekly press conference. The former Leader of the Opposition (LOO), Norton, will not be returning to the National Assembly, where the party will not be the largest opposition.
APNU is one of three opposition parties making up Guyana’s 13th Parliament, with the We Invest in Nationhood Party (WIN), headed by US-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed, taking 16 seats and most likely to take up the LOO position.

Norton noted also that the party has already selected candidates for the seats won in the regional elections for the various regional democratic councils across the country.
Norton confirmed that he will not be returning to Parliament and has no future plans to contest as a presidential candidate; however, he side-stepped questions on whether or not he would run for the leadership of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) when the party’s Biennial Congress comes up next year, saying only, “The PNC will determine what will happen at the next Congress.”

The PNCR is the largest faction of the APNU coalition. Notably absent from the APNU line-up is any representation from any of the coalition’s other constituting members, with the WPA being the only one given a seat.
Notwithstanding avoiding questions about future contests for leadership, Norton noted that as he moves forward, he will not be as active as he used to be in the party’s affairs.
“I don’t see why I should sit in the National Assembly at this stage, knowing full well that my intention is not to move forward and be as active as I used to. But [instead] undertaking the task to rebuild the party, and I don’t think I need to be in parliament to undertake that task,” Norton explained.

According to Norton, he will remain in the party to continue the rebuilding of the party as it continues to grapple with its dismal performance at the September 1 elections.
“I will preside over the party and ensure that I put the mechanisms in place so that by the time of the next elections, we are well structured and ready, and the new blood in the party will take over the party. I hope that is an indication that I have no intention of running for the presidency in the future, and so I see my task at this stage as preparing the party for the future,” he said.

Questioned on the party’s poor performance and its comeback strategy, Norton would only share that the party is reviewing and analysing the situation. He did acknowledge that the party has shown a historical pattern of always losing its support base when new parties crop up. Norton also conceded that not having coalesced with the AFC also affected the party’s ability to draw voters.