Norton insists he remains APNU Chairman, assures of ‘transparent’ PNCR elections

Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton, is insisting that he remains Chairman of the coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), despite allegedly being voted out of that position on June 6 at an extraordinary meeting hosted by other coalition parties.
He was absent from that meeting, and Vincent Henry, Leader of the Guyana Action Party (GAP), was elected as new Chairman of APNU.
“I continue to be Chairman of the APNU,” Norton told reporters at his party’s press conference on Friday.
The other parties in attendance at that meeting in which Henry was elected APNU Chairman were: the National Front Alliance (NFA), the Equal Rights and Justice Party (ERJP), and the Guyana Nation Builders (GNB), whose leader Tabitha Sarabo-Halley has also been elected General Secretary of the APNU.
The PNCR had later released a statement in which it noted that it had never received an invitation to attend this extraordinary meeting, and it concluded that the elections were “unauthorized”, and “null and void”, since only the PNCR party can initiate such a meeting.
Despite the ongoing tussle, Norton is insisting, “I think we have a united party, but there is a difference between a party and a coalition. A coalition is a combination of parties, and they will always have different interests.”
Further, he has said that after the PNCR’s upcoming Congress, “We will sit with the APNU and sort out the issues.”

Already Roysdale Forde, an Executive Member of the PNCR who is also contending for the post of Leader of the Party, has flagged irregularities in the nomination exercise relative to the PNCR’s biennial congress. He said the irregularities observed have caused the entire nomination process to be perceived as an attempt to bolster the perception of overwhelming support for Norton at the upcoming Congress.
Norton is, however, maintaining that there is “overwhelming” support for him to retain the post as head of the PNCR. He has dismissed claims made by Forde’s campaign, and has noted, “There has been no evidence that any group violated the [party’s] constitution.” However, he has promised that the central executive membership of the party would meet to iron out issues and concerns that exist.
“We will ensure that the party congress has its proper systems in place, and the final process ensure we have transparent elections,” Norton has said.
Norton has declined to outline measures the party is taking to ensure fair and credible elections, but has instead said, “That is not a task for me as Leader, that is the task for the accreditation and returning officers; and when the time comes, they will do it.”
Others nominated to contest the leadership of the party are: former Government Minister Simona Broomes; former GDF Chief-of-Staff, Rear Admiral Gary Best; Guyana’s Advisor on borders and Agent in the Venezuela border case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Carl Greenidge; MP Amanza Walton- Desir, and former Health Minister Volda Lawrence.
Norton has said there should be “no character assassination” among the contestants, and has noted that he maintains a good relationship with these other contestants.