…no electoral irregularities “if rules are followed” – candidates
By Rupa Seenaraine
The battle is on for the leadership of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), which commenced on Friday with the Nomination Day to select respective candidates. 
The party’s 21st biennial congress is set for December, where the election will be facilitated. Nomination Day allows for groups within the party to select the leader, chairman, two vice chairpersons, treasurer and 15 members of the Central Executive Committee who they will vote for on the Election Day.
At Congress Place, nominations were cast and saw Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon entering the race with the intention of rebuilding trust from former supporters of the party.
“You will find that the principal target that we have is the unity of our party and the bringing home of those members who felt affected in some way by the fact that they might have turned off from the party. The first thing is to bring home all of those persons…We want to expand the base of our party as well.”
According to Harmon, his 10-point plan aims among other things to improve the numbers for the party – which would have lost at the 2020 elections when it contested as part of the APNU/AFC coalition.
“I bring to the party leadership, the fact that I have been involved in these processes since 2010. I have managed elections, the coalition, the APNU and I have been able to show working together with a team that we were able to move our coalition, our partnership and our numbers,” he contended.
The Opposition Leader, when asked about Members of Parliament who have not endorsed him, said, “I have spoken to the MPs who have not endorsed me and I have actually given them the assurance that as Members of Parliament, we will continue to work for the benefit and good of this country and that if they have made a choice with respect to the internal elections, then I respect their choice.”
Party leader and former President, David Granger has not thrown his support behind any of the nominees but Harmon was “supremely confident” about his chances at the polls.
Electoral irregularities
PNC Executive Aubrey Norton told media operatives that electoral irregularities should not surface if the established rules are followed. Monitoring will be done, however, to curtail any untoward events.
“In any election, one has to put mechanism in place to ensure that irregularities don’t occur. We, at the level of the Central Executive Committee, the rules have been well established and if the rules are followed, there should be no irregularities whatsoever. But human beings aren’t perfect and therefore we will continue to monitor and ensure at the end of the process, we’re efficacious with a transparent election.”
Norton was of the belief that he has entered with a strong support base, and is more equipped to reach and rebuild grassroot supporters. He is aiming to make the PNCR a “permanent election campaign machinery”, and attract a wider ethnic support base.
“I think I am the most experienced politically in the bunch and by political experience, I mean being involved at virtually every level in the party – the group, the district, the region, the Central Executive. I have institutional memory which a lot of persons don’t have and I think that is what sets me apart,” said the Central Executive Member.
He said if the party is fair and transparent, it can garner more supporters.
Meanwhile, Dr Richard Van West-Charles suggested that a reorganisation of the PNC is essential, as he banks on his experience to win votes. In his approach, he is not subscribing to a slate.
“The party has to focus on development and development at all levels. The reorganisation that I am speaking about is how the groups are reorganised in the first place to show leadership and development in communities where the groups exist. That comes back to reorganisation of the secretariat and the party as a whole.”
Van West-Charles added, “When I put up a slate, I am sending a message that I am separating these set of people. I must be able to work with all of our comrades who have been elected by way of the democratic process and we work as a team in the interest of the party”.
Divisive campaign
Just before the nomination period was opened, prominent party member and former Minister under the coalition, Simona Broomes wrangled against the party for its divisive approach in the congress race.
She pointed out that the PNCR camp should reassess their approach in selecting leader and other officials to bring a more inclusive style and moreover added that she will not be involved in “division”.
“You are dividing comrades to get into power, I got respect for none if that’s your style. That is not the quality for leadership because you cannot destroy and hope to rebuild. You build where you are…People like to talk about Forbes Burnham. These people might be turning in their grave to see what is taking place out there,” Broomes voiced.
She added, “You have a process. If you can’t use that process to make a change in your own house, you can’t make a change in this nation…You’re losing your comrades, much less the people outside.”
The PNCR – the leading party in the A Partnership for National Unity faction of the APNU/AFC coalition Opposition – has been embroiled in an internal divisive power struggle since the party’s loss at the 2020 General and Regional Elections.
Hence, there was mounting pressure for congress to be held to elect new leadership, including incumbent PNCR Leader, former President David Granger, who did not contest for the post.
At the party’s last biennial congress in 2018, Granger was re-elected leader after the post was uncontested.
