…the PNC?
We live in interesting times, that’s for sure!! To the Chinese, the expression “May you live in interesting times” is actually a CURSE!! Why? Your Eyewitness guesses that it’s best to live in dull times, since life’s then predictable and you’d know what’s ahead! And be prepared. Interesting times? Two-edged sword, eh?? But here we are in VERY interesting times – so we might as well look carefully at what’s “interesting” and figure out why it may be dangerous.
The news du jour, of course, is the meltdown going on inside the PNC – which is causing the biggest crisis since it was founded back in 1958 by Forbes Burnham after his faction of PPP was trounced by Jagan’s. We don’t have to repeat the (sordid) details of Burnham’s string of betrayals, do we?? But whatever you can say, he ran a tight ship with his PNC. How’d he do it?? Well, first of all, he ensured that the PNC Constitution had a clause that, between Congresses, he had all the powers of that supreme institution!!
There was a time when a party member enquired (and Burnham overheard) whether Burnham thought he was God. The fella was latter summoned to Burnham’s office, and Burnham assured him that he (Burnham) didn’t think he was God. “God”, he informed the now cringing poor soul, “forgives and forgets. I don’t!!” And the fella was treated “condignly”, as Burnham was wont to say. Unlike what Dawn-Hastings said of Norton, Burnham didn’t ever scream: he was more like a snake who struck without warning!! Norton should’ve tried that approach.
Another Burnham tactic was to ensure there weren’t many other man-crabs in the PNC hole. John Carter – who had a following as the leader of the League of Coloured People, and had hired Burnham on his return as a lawyer – was effectively banished on diplomatic postings. While Norton doesn’t have the perks of running a government, he still had opportunities to let the wannabe leaders shine in out-of-town party mobilizations. But he wanted to do it all with the pick-up team of youngsters he gathered about himself!!
Anyhow, the “wicked and vindictive, illegally-installed cabal”, as he described the PPP when he refused to shake Pres Ali’s hand for a year, is still around, and is quite well-entrenched, thank you. What can Norton do to save the PNC – and himself – from imploding? Well, the visit by the Carter Center has given him a boost, and suggests that with so many foreign eyes focusing on Guyana – not just because of the 2025 elections, but our new petrostate status – he can begin by playing the waiting-in-the-wings statesman!!
And use that platform to bring in some real big men and big women on his team, rather than those pipsqueak, wet-behind-the-ears youngsters.
Over to you, Aubrey!!
…democratic change
A very smart fella once pointed out that “democracy ain’t instant, like coffee”. You gotta be patient!! America launched their democratic revolution since 1776, and they’re still busy straightening out kinks. And it’s not even a matter of what the Yanks are doing; it’s more about whether we want to live in a democracy or not!! If we don’t – like China, for instance – that’s fine, especially since they’re doing so well!! But we can’t run with the hare and hunt with the hounds, can we??
So, the PNC gotta accept that, if they don’t win elections, they gotta “take our licks like a man” – as one Caricom PM advised back in 2020. And for 2025, fix what went wrong and get ready. But it seems that the “wild men” in the fringe opposition enjoy yapping at Aubrey’s heels to undermine his credibility.
Guaranteeing the PNC will also lose “corn and husk” in 2025!
…democracy
The saddest thing is that democracy in Guyana needs the PNC. In divided societies, most would still gravitate to a party of “their own”. Fortunately, the PPP and PNC are pretty balanced – but it’s only the PNC that’s reaching across the fence. While the wild men chase others away.
