With elections due next year, the parties are getting their houses in order so’s to make their best showing in the biggest sweepstakes in our little Mudland. One geriatric from the PNC confessed recently that it’s all about signalling by the party leadership which group’s gonna be “pon tap”. And it ain’t just because – as political scientists put it – the winning group decides who gets “what, when and how”, but about bragging rights even if the winning group has to eat, “salt and rice”!! Our elections, therefore, are always combustible matters.
So it ain’t surprising that the parties’ elections to decide who’ll lead them into General Elections can also become brutal affairs. Remember the 2011 PNC Congress when Norton accused Granger’s backers of rigging and there was that pic of a gunman poised to take out dissenters?? Generally, the party in Opposition generates the most in-fighting – after the passing of the two founder leaders, Jagan and Burnham. When they were around, they pretty much orchestrated matters for outcomes THEY wanted. While everyone cites Jagan in 1962 changing the results so than an African rather than an Indian would be Chairman of the PPP, Burnham never had to be so blatant since the slates were selected by him!!
So, we arrive at the present where the PNC was supposed to’ve held its Biennial Congress since last December – ‘cause the last one that elected Norton as leader was in December 2021. But December 2023 came and went without the Congress!! PNC folks started accusing Norton of hiding from the membership, because he wasn’t sure he could hold off the challengers who’d been on their own hustings over the past year! Norton had been chosen by the party faithful, because they felt that Granger was too passive and hadn’t resorted to violent street action following his rigging attempt in 2020.
But after Norton had demonstrated his “aggressiveness” by just refusing to shake hands with Prezzie, folks were lining up to challenge him. Forced by public calls – and a protest – Norton promised that a Congress will be held “not later than Aug 31”. Interestingly, none of the frontrunners for his position are of the sulphur-breathing species. But they’ve got enough of them on the sidelines to ensure the old PNC standby of violence and rigging will be on the table come 2025!!
In the meantime, the incumbent PPP’s waters have been less turbulent – as is usually the case with parties having access to the State spigots! They’ve announced their Congress will be in May – with Prezzie already declaring he ain’t running.
That means VP Jagdeo – the PNC’s nightmare! – gonna be returning and the only action will be deciding how many of the “old guard” will be left!!
…and shmoozing
Well, there our leader was, back in St Vincent…but this time to attend a meeting with the 33 Latin American and Caribbean members of CELAC. And of course, several of the attendees of the Argyle meeting were there – including Mad Maduro and Ralph Gonsalves!! And once again, our President struck the right tone — signalling that even though Mad Maduro’s been truculently pushing his annexation of Essequibo claims, we continue to support a peaceful resolution to the controversy through the ICJ!! In this way, we’ve taken the diplomatic high ground – which counts!!
At the meeting, Prezzie exchanged gifts with Mad Maduro – ours being a bottle of 12-year-old El Dorado. This surely wasn’t coincidental, since Venezuela fancies itself as a top-class rum producer, but our rums have consistently topped theirs!! In case you doubt your Eyewitness, just check out the site RumX and you’ll see the top rating they received was 8.9 to our 9.7!!
And once again, Mad Maduro couldn’t look Prezzie in the eye!!
…to fraud
Your Eyewitness continues to be amazed at the PNC’s ineptness in continuing to claim the PPP rigged the 2020 elections – thus insulting the countries that witnessed their clumsy rigging attempt. The same countries they’re seeking to support them!!
