“Not heavyweights” claim: “Why were they in Parliament then?” – Nandlall asks Norton

Leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC)-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Aubrey Norton, recently downplayed the impact of prominent members who have resigned from his party in the past few months, noting that the former members are “not heavyweights” – a term used to define persons who have a lot of influence, experience, and importance in a particular field.
During his programme “Issues in the News” on Tuesday evening, Executive Member of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Anil Nandlall questioned Norton’s posture, noting that if the former members are not “heavyweights”, then they should not have been Members of Parliament, representing the party at the highest level of political office afforded to the Opposition.

“Well, it’s not me to pass judgement on Mr Norton or what he says about his party, but that must be a very unfortunate statement because the persons who have left are persons whom the party put in the National Assembly to represent its interests and the interests of its constituents, and it would appear more than passing strange that at that high level – and in fact, that is the highest level that you can put a person when you’re in the opposition – it is very illogical that you would put these persons at that high institution, the highest forum available to you in opposition, and then when they leave, say they are not heavyweights,” Nandlall contended.

Members of Parliament who resigned from the PNC include Amanza Walton-Desir, Jermaine Figueira, Natasha Singh-Lewis, and Geeta Chandan-Edmond. “Well, if they are not heavyweights, why were they in the Parliament for the last five years?” Nandlall questioned, adding that “that’s a question that Norton will have to answer to the membership and supporters of the PNC.” While Chandan-Edmond endorsed President Dr Irfaan Ali and the PPP for a second term in office, Walton-Desir formed her own political party, while Singh-Lewis threw her support behind US-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed. Figueira has not yet disclosed his next move.
Other members who recently resigned from the PNC include former Region Four Chairman Daniel Seeram and Vice Chairman Samuel Sandy, both of whom have thrown their support behind the PPP.
Former PNC parliamentarian James Bond, former PNC/R Central Executive member Dr Richard Van-West Charles, former PNC member Thandi McAllister, and former Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green have also left the PNC/APNU and are now supporting President Ali.
Sydney Allicock, member of the Guyana Action Party (GAP) – one of the parties that make up the APNU – has also endorsed President Ali. Allicock served as Vice President under the former David Granger-led administration.
Norton believes these resignations will not hurt the party’s performance at the upcoming September 1 polls.