Racist rhetoric, absence of visionary leadership among reasons for resignation from PNCR – Figueira

– says could not stay silent

Days after resigning, former People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Executive Jermaine Figueira has cited issues such as rising ethnic antagonism, the decline of internal ethics and the absence of visionary leadership within the party as grounds for his exit.
On Saturday, Figueira tendered his resignation to PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton – following a slew of other senior and junior party members who have also broken ranks with the party in recent times.
In the one-line letter, which he made public, Figueira resigned with immediate effect from the Central Executive and Membership of the PNCR as well as the party representative in the National Assembly.
Figueira broke his silence on Wednesday, explaining in a statement that his decision was not made lightly and that he refused to remain complicit in a trajectory that undermines the democratic, ethical, and national ideals that party members swore to uphold.
He cited four fundamental and irreconcilable issues that compelled him to take this step, including the PNCR leadership’s recent troubling tolerance for rising ethnic antagonism within the party.
“In its alignment with elements espousing divisive ethno-political rhetoric, which corrodes the pluralistic foundation of our society, the party has deviated from the tenets of inclusive nationalism. What was once a platform for unifying vision now flirts perilously with sectarian dogma. This is not the movement I joined. The responsibility to defend and promote national unity is absolute; its abdication is a moral failure,” he posited.
Another area of concern Figueira raised is the deterioration of the party’s internal culture, which, he says, has now been defined by sycophancy, vindictiveness, and a systematic side-lining of faithful contributors such as himself.
“I have personally experienced arbitrary exclusion, and I have witnessed the unjust treatment of long-serving stalwarts such as the late Comrade Amna Ally, even with her passing. This is no longer a party anchored in discipline and dignity; it is a structure in retreat from ethical stewardship and true comradery,” he declared.
Under Norton’s leadership, Figueira was removed as shadow Culture, Youth and Sport Minister in the National Assembly back in January 2024 – a move that blindsided him since he was not informed prior of the plans to remove his parliamentary portfolio.

Absence of visionary leadership
Moreover, Figueira contended that the PNCR today suffers from intellectual inertia and political pettiness, lacking the imagination, unity of purpose, and renewal mechanisms necessary to respond to a rapidly evolving national context.
“In an era that demands bold thinking and courageous leadership, the party has become introspective and reactive rather than visionary and proactive,” he asserted.
The former PNCR Executive went on to call out the party’s leadership for choosing ‘partisan withdrawal over patriotic unity’ when it comes to a matter of national peril such as Venezuela’s renewed claims on Guyana’s territorial sovereignty – something that demands unequivocal resolve.
“To have walked out of Parliament, when our country required a unanimous reaffirmation of its sovereignty, was not only a dereliction of parliamentary responsibility; it was a betrayal of the very ethos upon which the party was founded. Leadership must be rooted in love of country, above all else,” Figueira emphasised.
He was making reference to the walkout led by the parliamentary opposition during the May 23, 2025, sitting of the National Assembly when the government presented a motion denouncing Venezuela’s planned elections in Guyana’s Essequibo territory in the following days.
The motion – titled ‘Support for the Government and People of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana Reaffirming the Sovereignty of Guyana over its Internationally Recognised Territory’ – was tabled by Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd.
However, the opposition leader in a subsequent presentation declared that they would not support the motion, which he says lacks enforcement, and led a walkout – a move that was widely criticised and described as “shameful” and “unpatriotic”.
Nevertheless, Figueira made it unambiguously clear that his resignation is a matter of principle.
“I cannot, in good conscience, lend legitimacy to a course of action that veers Guyana away from truth, justice, unity, and the national interest. To remain silent in such a moment would be to condone what must be opposed,” he asserted.
The former PNCR Executive remains steadfast in his commitment to the people of Linden, Region 10, and by extension, the people of Guyana.
According to Figueira, “I am prepared to continue serving faithfully, constructively, and with integrity. I do so not with bitterness, but with renewed hope that we may yet build a politics defined by substance over spectacle, service over ambition, and people over power.”
Figueira joins several of his former colleagues on the opposition’s side, who have also resigned in recent weeks. These include the likes of Amanza Walton-Desir, Geeta Chandan-Edmond, and Natasha Singh Lewis, who have all broken ranks with the PNC, citing issues with the current party leadership and instances of being side-lined.