When Napoleon Bonaparte said, “In politics absurdity is not a handicap,” he was espousing his belief that rationality and logic are often not requirements for political success. He would have reiterated this sentiment if he were alive today to observe some of the antics in the PNCR. He would have been captivated by the article with the headline “Norton Expels North American Region (NAR) Arm of PNCR,” which was posted on some online platforms.
The central theme of the article is that Party Leader Aubrey C. Norton unilaterally expelled NAR. It is hoped that none of the actors from the previous NAR executive are behind this article because, if they are, it would demonstrate an unprecedented and unmatched sense of entitlement.
The fact is, NAR was not expelled and, for that matter, cannot be expelled. NAR is a geographical space, like Regions 1 to 10 in Guyana. How does one expel a region? However, in keeping with the Party’s constitution, officers of organs at all levels can be sanctioned by the appropriate body for justifiable reasons after due process.
Several months ago, the Party Leader adjudicated an issue involving NAR, but some members of NAR’s executive were dissatisfied and wrote demanding a meeting with the entire Central Executive. The Region was summoning the Central Executive Committee (CEC) to a meeting. The CEC established a committee that met with NAR, and after subsequent deliberations, the CEC reaffirmed the Party Leader’s ruling on the issue. Some members of NAR’s executive refused to accept the decision of the CEC and took the issue to the General Council, which endorsed the CEC’s decision. Some members of NAR’s executive refused to accept the decision of the General Council.
On December 23, 2023, the General Secretary wrote to NAR, giving it fourteen days to comply with the directions of the CEC, failing which the CEC would have no choice but to act in accordance with Article 23(3) of the Party’s constitution. The NAR executive did not comply.
On April 23, 2024, the Party Leader, Chairman, General Secretary, and CEC member Sherwin Benjamin met with the chairmen and secretaries of all but two of the groups in the North American Region. On the recommendation of this meeting, the CEC established an interim committee to manage the affairs of NAR until elections could be held.
Lies have emerged as a political strategy in recent years. The bold claims that Party Leader Aubrey Norton took unilateral action against NAR are nothing but a total fabrication. The previous NAR executive was given due process.