Norton concedes defeat, calls on supporters to rally with party

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) leader Aubrey Norton, noting that this is the first time the party is not in Government or the main opposition, has conceded defeat in the September 1 General and Regional Elections, while claiming that the polls were neither free nor fair and assuring supporters that the party will rebound from defeat. In his address on Saturday, ahead of the official Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) declaration, Norton thanked party members and supporters for their efforts during the campaign, but insisted that the electoral process was riddled with irregularities – despite no such observations by local and international observers – while also referencing the 1997 General and Regional Elections in his argument regarding the irregularities he claims plague Guyana’s elections.
However, Norton cast APNU’s failure to secure the presidency or the status of main opposition as an opportunity for political renewal. He assured supporters that the coalition will not be silenced and will continue to fight for democracy in its new role. “As a major political party, it is necessary that we maintain and utilise that space for the ongoing mobilisation of our people and all relevant forces in order to attain the kind of society in which the mores and the culture of democracy are firmly embedded,” he noted.
“APNU, of which the PNC (People’s National Congress) is a major Party, has a wealth of experience in weathering the political storm. We will come through this and we will be stronger and better,” he stated.
Following Monday’s elections, the country’s main political opposition, the PNC-led APNU, lost significant support in its strongholds including Region Four and 10.
The newcomer, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party headed by United States (US)-sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed, was able to garner a substantial number of votes from the electorate, and weakened APNU’s parliamentary standing.
Following the completion of the recount requested by APNU and WIN, and tabulation of votes cast in Regions Four and Five, the APNU received fewer votes than initially declared.
The recount saw the APNU losing votes and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) gaining votes. In Region Four, the PPP picked up two votes, moving from 87,536 to 87,538. However, after gaining 46,956 votes in the original count, APNU dropped to 46,949 in the recount.
APNU’s opposition partner, the Alliance for Change (AFC), also dropped by six votes, moving from 1765 to 1759. Conversely, the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) ended up picking up six votes, moving from 2431 to 2437.
In Region Five, in the original count, APNU had 6480 votes, but the recount showed that they had received 6477 votes – a decline of three.
WIN’s votes remained constant after the recount.