It is now just over six months since Aubrey Norton was elected Leader of the PNCR. Some observers are now suggesting his honeymoon is over, and are checking off his accomplishments to assess his performance. In some regards it is ironic.
When Norton became Leader there were several critical issues confronting the party. These included apparent disunity, weak party organization, an unraveling APNU, and an encroaching PPP dictatorship. It is against these benchmarks some are assessing Norton. However, in this assessment they are failing to do one recalibration.
Yes it is true, Norton was elected PNCR Leader in December 2021, but it is also true that he only became Leader of the Opposition in April 2022. This is five months after he was elected PNCR Leader. If the PPP was orchestrating the undermining of the new PNCR Leader they could not have done a better job. However, any assessment of Norton’s tenure must take into account the impact of this period of uncertainty. This is not to say there is not enough to effectively assess Norton’s performance.
One critical area is party unity. In the run up to the last party elections all three candidates for Leader, Norton, Harmon, and Van West Charles, committed to accept the results. On the night of the elections Harmon called Norton and conceded, a significant step towards acceptance of the results. However, while Van West Charles accepted a role as advisor to the Leader, Harmon withdrew from the party. This was a major setback to party unity, since it gives the impression of a permanent chasm in the party. Despite this, Norton embraced prominent members of Harmon’s team. For instance, Roysdale Forde, candidate for Party Chairman on Harmon’s ticket, is the representative of the Leader of the Opposition for the current engagement with the PPP Government. More importantly, there are no reports of anyone being ostracized. It is apparent there is room for everyone. Clearly, the Party Leader has created an enabling environment for Party unity. Now it is up to all of us to embrace this paradigm.
It must be acknowledged that with respect to party unity, a work in progress is Joseph Harmon. He is a major asset and the party has to continue to engage him to facilitate his smooth return to its fold.
There is no doubt significant work has been done to reenergize the party since Norton became Leader. Many groups were formed/resuscitated and organs reactivated. This has to culminate in Regional and District conferences across the country. However, the transformation is already being felt. At the last General Council there was a spirit of revival flowing through the hall. Some members spoke informally with tears in their eyes about the new feeling.
The Party now has a team of young dynamic Leaders. Party Chairman Shurwayne Holder, General Secretary Greta Chandan, Vice-chairman Vinceroy Jordon, Roysdale Forde, Amanda Walton-Disir, and Ganesh Mahipaul are just a few. This is a positive development for the party albeit about ten years late.
Around 2005 UNDP organized an engagement between the PYO, the PPP youth arm, and the GYSM, the PNCR youth arm. Selected leaders from both organizations met over several weekends to discuss topical issues. The objective of the program was to create cordial relationships between the next generation of leaders in the PNCR and the PPP. This they hoped would have resulted in national politics being more cordial. The program failed because, while several of the PYO leaders advanced to prominent positions in the PPP, none of the GYSM members attained prominent positions in the PNCR. It was as if the PNCR strategized to sideline and derail all of the GYSM leaders.
Today the PNCR is moving to correct this deficiency. The future of the party is young leadership, and it is good the Party Leader is building his team around young people. There will be detractors clamouring for faces they know from decades ago, but this will not be in the Party’s interest. The experience heads must give support to the young hands.
Another area of critical importance is coalition building. All data suggests that while the PPP is not a majority party, they are likely to secure the plurality if there isn’t an effective coalition. As was seen in 2011, even when the PPP fails to secure a majority, they will govern in the same heavy handed and hamfisted manner.
After the 2020 elections the Working People’s Alliance and the Justice for all Party left the APNU coalition. The public chemistry between APNU and AFC was not resonating well. However, when the AFC moved to twart efforts to prevent Aubrey Norton from becoming Leader of the Opposition, they strengthened the foundation of coalition politics in Guyana. This has to be built upon.
Since assuming office the Party Leader has engaged WPA and JFP. They have not rejoined APNU, but relationship between the PNCR and these parties are much improved. This is a work in progress. Strengthening and expanding the coalition in Guyana must be an ongoing effort.
The encroaching PPP dictatorship is a threat to the future and well-being of the nation. They must be held in check and made to account. A revitalized and energized PNCR, along with a strong and expanded coalition is exactly what’s needed. Aubrey Norton is working in this direction. However, all hands must be on deck, the future of the nation is at stake.
The fact is, we are confronted with a new dynamic. In the past Guyana depended on the international financial institutions, the ABC countries, and the EU for significant balance of payment support and almost all of the capital budget. The threat of withholding these funds held the PPP in check. As such, issues raised with ABC and EU ambassadors by the Leader of the Opposition could be resolved with a little arm twisting and the quiet suspension of a line of credit. With the advent of oil money, things are different now. Norton will have to be creative and develop a new playbook to hold the PPP in check and to account.
It appears there are peripheral forces hoping for/trying to ensure the failure of Aubrey Norton. The theory is that they see PNCR Congress in 2023 as an opportunity to dislodge him, so in the meanwhile they sit on the sidelines with hands folded, running in every now and then to criticize. This is dangerous. We cannot afford this luxury.
The PPP is engaged in a vicious campaign to dominate every facet of society in Guyana. Look how they emasculated the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament as soon as they accessed the oil dollars. The unilateral appointments of members to constitutional commissions, unilateral appointment is Commissioner of Police, attempts to seize control of the Public Service Credit Union. Then there is the case of the Local Government Commission where the PPP used its simple majority to usurp the authority of the commission by passing a motion to vest the authority of the commission in the PPP chairman and Vice-chairman. By 2023, unless the PPP is held in check, the transformation of the political, economic, social landscape will be so significant, disadvantaged Guyanese will have no recourse. Neither the PNCR nor Guyana could afford the distraction of people yapping at Norton’s heels with the hope of him failing. In the five months since becoming PNCR Leader, Aubrey Norton has moved the PNCR in the right direction. He established he has what it takes to transform the PNCR into an effective election machinery and national service organization.