‘PNC aloof, at its weakest’ – former MP on mass exodus

Former Member of Parliament (MP) of the People’s National Congress (PNC) – the leading party in the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) faction – James Bond, says that the party is now at the weakest it has ever been, given the mass exodus being experienced.
Over the past few months, the PNC has been bleeding members, including several prominent long-standing stalwarts – a trend that seems not to faze the Aubrey Norton leadership.
But according to Bond, who previously served on the PNC’s Executive Committee, “The PNC is at its weakest. And no amount of fluffing, no amount of posturing could change that. It’s not a perception, that’s fact.”
During an appearance on this week’s episode of the Starting Point programme, the former PNC member was asked about Norton’s recent dismissal of the loss of several former parliamentarians who have walked away from the PNC, including Jermaine Figueira, Amanza Walton-Desir and Natasha Singh-Lewis.
At a press conference on Friday last, Norton said these persons who resigned from the PNC are not “heavyweights” and in some cases, they lacked competence.
However, Bond, who previously served as a PNC Executive, believes that Norton, who is also the chairman of the APNU coalition, is only putting up a show for the party’s existing members.
“[This is] the exodus of people of substance. There is no way you could tell me that the likes of a Figueira, the likes of a Walton and Natasha Singh-Lewis… Dawn Hastings, Geeta Chandon, James Bond… there is no way you could tell anybody that they’re [insignificant]. If you do so, you’re being aloof. I don’t think you’re grounded in reality. But you have to say [they are not heavyweights] …because if you don’t say it, then you show weakness, and you have to be strong for your base,” the former PNC executive surmised.
Bond, who resigned from the PNC earlier this year after endorsing the Dr Irfaan Ali-led People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government for a second term, went on to point out that it would be a political suicide if Norton were to admit that this haemorrhaging of its membership is a blow to the party.
“You can’t say it. It would be political naivety. It would be political suicide to come out and admit that the departure of six or seven young people weakens your party. It would be political suicide to admit that fact,” Bond contended.
Norton said last Friday that the senior PNC members, who have resigned over varying issues, would not affect the party’s performance at the upcoming polls on September 1.
“None of them are heavyweights,” Norton said, noting that heavyweights are determined by the work you do and not the position you hold.
Figueira was an executive member of the PNC, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), shadow Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, and the PNC’s chairman of Region 10 – one of the party’s strongholds.
But according to Norton, Figueira was just an ‘occupier of a seat’ and he lacked competence.
Last year, Norton removed Figueira from his position as shadow Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport and as Chairman for Region 10.
Following his resignation, Figueira released a statement to the media explaining his reasons for leaving the party, citing issues such as the PNC’s lack of visionary leadership and its embrace of ethnic antagonism.
Norton said he is not worried that Figueira will pull votes from the PNC for Region 10, despite the fact that the young politician has done a number of charity and community work in the villages there.
In fact, Norton said, “Figueira was not doing the work and he was removed, both as chairman of the region and as shadow Minister youth sport and culture, and this had to do with competence or lack of it.”
In the case of Walton-Desir, the PNC leader said, “it is true that at a particular point, she was not on our press conferences, etc and it is for a reason which I think is justifiable, but I do not want to be in the public domain saying what it is, unless she says something contrary.”
Regarding Singh-Lewis, Norton said her resignation was rooted in her friendship with the late Amna Ally, a former PNC General Secretary and party stalwart who also resigned months ago, and there was nothing he could have done to prevent it.
When it comes to the resignations of the Regional Chairman and Vice Chairman of Region Four, Daniel Seeram and Samuel Sandy, Norton said they were never working in the interest of the PNC.
Some other persons who have resigned from the PNC are Thandi McAllister, Geeta Chandan-Edmond and Dr Richard Van-West Charles, who is the son-in-law of former President and founder of the PNC, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham.
Like Bond, Van-West Charles, Chandan-Edmond, McAllister, Seeram and Sandy among several other former PNC members have endorsed the PPP/C.
Despite this, however, Norton contends that “None of the persons who have departed can carry with them the support from the APNU.”