Joseph Harmon has many demons he must confront and exorcise

Dear Editor,
The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the People’s National Congress (PNC) are in a quandary with respect to the leadership of the party.
I make that bold statement based on information gleaned from some party faithful themselves. There is a leadership squabble going on deep within the hierarchy of the party as it pertains to who is best suited, or in their pet adage, who is “fit and proper” to lead.
This has been the situation ever since Granger lost power and did not take up his position as Opposition Leader in Parliament. But as time goes by, that rift is getting wider and the discontent growing greater in intensity.
Party faithful, the likes of Aubrey Norton, did not take kindly to the idea of Granger installing a handpicked puppet in Harmon. His assessment of Harmon is one who is inexperienced, vacillating and weak and one who is not strong enough to lead.
The point I am making is this, Norton’s view of strong leadership is that you have to be a bully, one that goes around and throws his weight like a juggernaut, and may I add, this is the highly conservative view of most PNC members.
It is an age-old tactic invented by Burnham and one which served the party well these years, however, whether that will work in a new and enlightened era; I would be the first to readily give you a resounding no for an answer!
Some members are even throwing in the name of Nigel Hughes as a genuine successor. The last-named person is not a member of the party’s hierarchy, however, as was explained, laws can easily be manipulated and Hughes takes his rightful place in the party.
But that creates another problem where an even greater hurdle is in the making, that is, skipping over Harmon. Both Norton and Hughes are not members of the National Assembly and as such cannot wield that significant an influence to get rid of him. These gentlemen would have to do so from a parliamentary standpoint. Now, those who are formulating the plan could again attest to the fact that this will soon be rectified, maybe as soon as after the outcome of the next LGE.
However difficult the task may appear, the would-be appointees are doing the groundwork needed to oust the Opposition Leader. So, whether it is the Henry Boys’ matter, The LGE pressure brought to bear on the Government, or even Ms Waldron’s renunciation of her American citizenship, Harmon must appear as this towering, strong and unshakable leader of his party. In that regard, he is desperately trying to win support within and without the party. I rest my case.

Respectfully,
Neil Adams