Former PNC MP challenges Norton’s claims party was successful in LGE 2023

– another PNC figure calls out Party for dragging its feet on SoPs

Claims by leaders of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) that the party “won” a resounding victory at the Local Government Elections (LGE), are being challenged by former PNC Member of Parliament (MP) James Bond.
In a statement on his social media account, Bond urged his fellow PNC supporters not to fall prey to claims by the PNCR leadership – claims that have been primarily advanced by party leader Aubrey Norton, that the LGE results were a success for the PNC.

Norton has downplayed PNC’s results from the elections… even though the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won 66 out of 80 Local Authority Areas. According to Bond, who has been vocal in saying that the party has nothing to celebrate, the party must be brave enough to take stock of what the results mean for the PNC.
“To my fellow PNC supporters if any leader tells you that this LGE was a success for us tell them they are delusional and they are liars. Do not let another leader lie to you. Time to be honest, time to change the culture of politics.”

“It is high time we are brave enough to see what’s wrong, find a solution and fix the problem. We are going to change the culture! We are not going to be cowards!” Bond further said in his social media post. Interestingly enough, outgoing Mayor of Georgetown and PNC Member Ubraj Narine could be seen expressing agreement with Bond on the post.
Meanwhile, one time Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources Simona Broomes also released a video in which she urged the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to release the results in a timely manner. But she also railed against the PNCR leader for the slow release of the party’s own preliminary results.
“Bharrat (Jagdeo) talks about he preliminary, he preliminary. Where is Aubrey Norton? Where [are your] preliminaries? You can’t come out and say about your preliminary and so too man? [You all] get me vex. What about your preliminaries? You have Statements of Poll!” Broomes said.
So far, the PPP has won the majority votes in seven of the country’s ten townships in a move that party’s General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, has described as a “wipeout” of the APNU. These townships include Mabaruma, Anna Regina, Rose Hall, Corriverton, Lethem, Bartica and Mahdia.
Moreover, Jagdeo told a press conference on Tuesday that based on the party’s calculations, the PPP also won the popular vote in 66 of the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs) at this year’s Local Government polls.
He explained that the PPP outright won 62 but tied in four areas. In the tied areas, however, the party won the popular vote which would mean that, based on convention, its representative would get the chairmanship position. In contrast, Jagdeo explained that APNU only won 14 LAAs, a decrease from the 23 it had won in 2018.

Results
GECOM’s official results show that in Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini), the PPP won 12 seats while APNU got two. Previously, the PPP had eight of the 12 seats. APNU received 497 votes while PPP got 1491.
In Anna Regina, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), the PPP won 15 seats while APNU only secured one. PPP received 3657 votes while APNU got 505. In New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), the PPP won six seats and APNU won eight. In 2018, APNU had 11 seats and PPP had three.
In Rose Hall, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), the PPP won 11 seats while APNU got three. PPP got 1008 votes and APNU received 447. The PPP also won the town of Corriverton, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) wherein in one of the constituencies, more persons voted for a deceased candidate of the PPP than the APNU representative. PPP got 2314 votes while APNU got 508.
In Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), the PPP won the majority of the votes. In 2018, APNU got 1521 votes and the PPP got 1145 and AFC 346; but this year, APNU got 1601 and PPP increased to 1784. “Isn’t that a major change? That’s the definition of change,” Jagdeo expressed.
In Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), the PPP also won the popular vote. In Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), the PPP won all ten seats as there was no contest in that township.
In Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), at this year’s polls, the PPP’s votes moved from 402 in 2018 to 2464. This year, the PPP earned two seats while APNU received 14. Previously, the PPP had one seat.
In Georgetown, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), the PPP won five of the 15 constituencies, up from three in 2018. In 2018, the PPP had gotten 6813 votes but at this year’s polls, the party got 12,265 votes.
In the heart of Sophia, the PPP gained some 500 more votes than in 2018; in Charlestown/Albouystown, it secured 473 more votes than in 2018 and in Tucville/North Ruimveldt, it got some 500 more votes than in 2018.