PNCR leadership race: Party’s future at stake – Van West-Charles to Linden supporters

With the race for the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) leadership on, candidate Dr Richard Van West-Charles on Saturday officially launched his campaign in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), where he told supporters that this is now the time to rebuild the party and ultimately work towards a better Guyana.

Van West-Charles’ campaign launch came one day after the PNCR held its Nomination’s Day activity ahead of its 21st Biennial Congress slated for December 11, 2021. He will be running against Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon and PNCR Executive Aubrey Norton, who is leading the race, to become the party’s new leader. Incumbent leader, former President David Granger, is not running for a third term and was not nominated to return to the post.
During his campaign launch, Dr Van West-Charles, who is the son-in-law of founding leader of PNC – Linden Forbes Burnham, told supporters that the party is a political machinery has the power to achieve a better Guyana for all. He noted that the PNCR had done this before and can do it again but only if it is in “safe hands” with him at its helm.

“Comrades, this is a task for all of us. I cannot do it alone and neither can you. But together, yes! We can. This is our moment; our time and we must do what we must. The future of our party is at stake, the future of our members and supporters is at stake and so is the future of our beloved country,” he stated.
The PNCR candidate rallied support to get on board with him to send a signal to all enemies, both internal and external, that the party will emerge with new leadership which will be ready to confront the haughty enemy by taking action as appropriate to the circumstances and conditionalities placed before them, be it in Parliament, the highest courts of the land, international lobbying or in the streets of villages and towns.
“…we must fight to win the leadership and other strategic positions within the Central Executive Council (CEC). We must fight for change and fight to rebuild the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) as a potent political force capable of taking on the tasks we have identified pertinent to our peace, stability and growth as a nation,” he stressed.
If given the opportunity to serve the party, Dr Van West-Charles, who headed the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) under the previous APNU/AFC coalition regime, said he will bring the renewed vigour and spirit to move in a manner not seen in the recent past. He added that under his leadership, there will be a level of organisation which will make the PNCR one of the most organised forces in the country.

Inclusionary politics
He went on to outline the importance of inclusionary politics not only within the party and the need to address ethnic insecurities. All this, the candidate pointed, must be done with peace.
“Our leadership must be seen in the vineyard working with our comrades to have them emerge out of the grassroots environment where their elderly and children have a better quality of life, where their youth can have new vistas and hope to open new doors to the creation of wealth. Our leadership must be ethical in its operation at all levels with respect for all even when we differ. Differences of views and opinions must not breathe hate but respect for alternative views, perhaps different thought processes and intellectual competence, and maybe opportunities for teaching and/or learning,” he stated.
Moreover, Dr Van West-Charles further posited that as the campaign moves closer to the December Congress, no stone should be left unturned in meeting party supporters, especially at the grassroot, to explain how each member will be involved and according to him, no attempt should be made by anyone to interrupt this process in the coming weeks.
Only last month, Van West-Charles had called for PNCR General Secretary Amna Ally to recuse herself from the post to allow for transparency and accountability in the election process. He had also alleged there were efforts by some to sway the PNCR membership to vote in a particular manner. At Friday’s Nomination Day process, he told reporters that “The party has to focus on development and development at all levels… I am speaking about how the groups are reorganised in the first place to show leadership and development in communities where the groups exist. That comes back to reorganisation of the secretariat and the party as a whole.”
Nevertheless, he committed to working with all party members who are elected via a democratic process.
At his campaign launch, Dr Van West-Charles was endorsed by several PNCR members including prominent leaders in Linden, former Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Chairman Sharma Solomon and former parliamentarian Vanessa Kissoon.
The PNCR – the leading party in the A Partnership for National Unity faction of the APNU/AFC coalition Opposition – has been embroiled in an internal divisive power struggle since the party’s loss at the 2020 General and Regional Elections.
Hence, there was mounting pressure for congress to be held to elect new leadership. (G8)