PNCR Congress passes motion for Aubrey Norton to be presidential candidate at 2025 polls

– as curtains pulled on 22nd Biennial Delegates Congress

– CEC to soon meet to select new GS

After his two contenders dropped out of the race due to concerns over irregularities in the electoral process, Aubrey Norton who was unchallenged returned as leader of the Peoples National Congress- Reform (PNC-R).
At the Congress over the weekend, a motion was also passed decreeing that the elected leader be the party’s presidential candidate for the upcoming General and Regional Elections, which are due next year.

Norton’s competitors were PNC’s parliamentarians Roysdale Forde and Amanza Walton-Desir, who both suspended their campaigns and withdrew from contesting for the position of leader on the eve of the party’s 22nd Biennial Delegates Congress.
Since Norton was the only person contesting for the position, he won; it is unclear, however, how many votes he secured.
Meanwhile, Shurwayne Holder was re-elected Chairman of the Party; Vinceroy Jordan and Elizabeth Williams-Niles were re-elected Vice-Chairpersons, and Elson Low was elected Treasurer of the Party.
Members of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) are Riaz Rupnarain, Coretta McDonald, Ganesh Mahipaul, Robin Simon, Deron Adams, Joan Ann Ramascindo, Anil Sugrim, Mervyn Williams, Wainright McKintosh, Sherwood Lowe, Marcia Gordon, Kemal Kissoon, Troy Garraway, and Egerton David.
The CEC is expected to meet where they will select the party’s new general secretary.
At the Congress, the PNC discussed their desire to win at the 2025 polls, admitting the need for the party to build credibility and electability.
However, their Congress has been marred by numerous controversies – bringing into question whether this group of politicians is fit to be leaders within the government.
Apart from the concerns expressed by Forde and Walton-Desir, the PNC’s General Secretary Dawn Hastings-Williams resigned just four days before the Congress, citing similar issues. Additionally, a PNC member had even taken the party to court, to stop it from hosting its Congress and internal elections.
Furthermore, in the lead-up to the Congress, damning allegations of sexual assault/sex threats were made by seasoned PNC politician Vanessa Kissoon, against Norton. Kissoon, who is currently a councillor on the Linden Town Council, accused Norton of threatening to rape her at gunpoint. Norton has maintained his innocence and the matter is currently being investigated by the party.

Electoral Irregularities
On Thursday, Walton-Desir in a statement cited serious concerns over procedural fairness and transparency as key reasons for her decision to pull out from the elections. Particularly, she said there were doubts about the integrity of the leadership selection process.
Hours after Walton-Desir announced the suspension of her campaign, Forde announced that he too has taken a decisive step, amid the PNC internal elections turmoil by suspending his campaign and refusing all nominations for party positions. His actions come as a response to what he perceives as severe irregularities within the party’s electoral process.
Forde outlined several critical reasons for his decision, chief among his concerns are allegations of electoral malpractice and procedural flaws that have tainted the integrity of the ongoing election proceedings.
Forde said that his decision was precipitated by a lack of response to his repeated communications to the Central Executive Committee and the General Secretary regarding his concerns about the transparency and fairness of the electoral process. Despite raising an alarm over discrepancies in delegate lists and unrealistic timelines imposed for the party congress, Forde said his concerns have gone unaddressed.
However, the PNC in a statement following the conclusion of its Congress, expressed that elections for party officers and members of the Central Executive Committee of the Party were “conducted in accordance with the procedures set out by the independent Returning Officer Mr Vincent Alexander.”
The statement added that “for identification, delegates were required to display to the election officials both their delegates badge and a picture ID.”
The PNC also said the turnout was “overwhelming”, though actual figures were not provided.

Court Proceedings
Meanwhile, two days before the commencement of the PNC’s Congress, a member took the party to court seeking to stop the event, over the irregularities in the process.
The member, Brian Collison, is contending that in light of irregularities in the process leading up to the selection of the PNC delegates, the High Court must intervene to protect the will of the PNC members and support base. Collison is being represented by Attorney-at-Law Vivian Williams, with Norton being named as a respondent in this case.
While the member did not secure an injunction, the matter will be heard later this year.

Resignations
Hastings-Williams’ resignation letter highlighted several concerns, including the lack of readiness for this weekend’s congress and concerns regarding financial accountability.
She also expressed concerns that as General Secretary, she was not being integrally involved in the preparations. Additionally, Hastings-Williams highlighted that she has received complaints from several groups and party members, some in writing, that the records of the secretariat do not correspond with their previous submissions, and that their membership register does not reflect their true membership.
The General Secretary further revealed that many members also claim that they have been unable or will be unable to meet the short deadlines set for the submission of the delegates and other information because of the short notice period for Congress.
Hastings-Williams’ resignation follows the resignation of her predecessor, Geeta Chandan Edmonds, in 2022. Also resigning at that time had been party treasurer, Faaiz Mursalin. At the time Mursalin had resigned, he had also claimed a lack of financial accountability.

Alleged rape threat
On June 19, Kissoon released a statement to the press explaining that she was travelling in Norton’s car, with Norton as the driver, when he allegedly threatened her at gunpoint.
“Mr Norton stopped his car, locked it, showed me his gun in his foot, and asked me, “If I put this to your head and rape you, what would you do?”,” Kissoon detailed in her statement, adding that Norton did not carry out “his threats or desires”.
“…but I have carried the burden of this threat, disrespect, and violation for years,” Kissoon had expressed. The matter is currently being investigated by a group of senior Executives of the PNC, referred to the Council of Elders.

Personal Cake Shop
Meanwhile, former General Secretary Amna Ally had also expressed concerns about Norton’s leadership and made it clear her decision to not support him as leader of the PNC.
“I am not going to lift a finger under Aubrey Norton’s leadership. When he is changed as the leader, I will look and see what contribution, if any, I can make. But as of now, I want nothing to do with Norton and his quality of leadership,” Ally, who served the party for over 50 years, expressed in a statement in April.
“Aubrey Norton’s style of leadership is undemocratic. He has demonstrated a lack of accountability in the Party by undermining and destroying various party structures and practices by which he can be held accountable effectively placing himself as an autocratic leader with the CEC rendered ineffective and impotent,” Ally had further contended.
Among other things, Ally had further asserted that “We must ask Aubrey Norton what entitles him to run the PNCR like his personal pig farm or cake shop. I have served every leader of the PNCR and our members as well as supporters faithfully.”
“Knowing Aubrey Norton the way I do. I cannot sit and quietly watch him weaken and destroy the Party of LFS Burnham, I cannot in all conscience support his leadership,” the seasoned politician had argued. (G-11)