Two weeks ago, a dustup occurred between PNCR Chairman Shurwayne Holder and former PNCR General Secretary Amna Ally over certain comments she made. Holder publicly rebuked Ally, and the PPP appeared to take sides when the media outlets it controls began disparagingly referring to Mr. Holder as a ‘rookie chairman.’ No doubt, their intent was to convey to the nation that Mr. Holder does not have the gravitas to fulfill his role as chairman of one of the two largest political parties in Guyana. Holder did not respond to the PPP’s taunts. However, in the two weeks since his exchange with Ms. Ally, Shurwayne Holder has shown gravitas, leadership, and maturity the PPP tried to suggest he does not possess. In these two weeks, Holder masterful responses to both national and party issues have debunked the label the PPP was trying to attach to him. Cases in point would be his handling of the verbal exchange with Amna Ally, the erroneous report about a missing CPU in Congress Place, and the ongoing power outages.
After the PPP-controlled Guyana Chronicle published details of an interview Amna Ally did with them, Holder reacted with a crafty response. Instead of responding to Amna Ally, he chose to address all Party membership via a live social media broadcast. In the address, he provided a clear and compelling explanation of why he rebuked Ally for her statement that she would not lift a finger to help the PNCR under Norton’s leadership. Despite Ally’s recorded response to his statement, he was not baited into further public exchanges. In fact, he reached out privately to Ms. Ally in an effort to lower the temperature. Even when the online publication Village Voice carried a headline suggesting he called Ally to apologize, he remained calm. He said, ‘I read the article, and the quote from Comrade Ally does not support the headline.’
Even as he was dealing with the dust-up with the former General Secretary, misleading information that could have possibly undermined the integrity of the party’s election process filtered into the media. Reports stated that a CPU containing the party’s membership database had disappeared from Congress Place. Uninformed people, who are unaware that the party’s constitution stipulates that “proof of payment is proof of membership,” and that all regional and group officials have to do is to produce their copies of their payment spreadsheet, which contains the names of all persons for whom membership was paid, began to have a meltdown, claiming the party elections were being hijacked.
The Party Chairman’s response to this potential crisis was swift. He conducted an urgent investigation, established that the claims of a missing CPU lacked veracity, and then called all members who have indicated an interest in contesting for the office of Leader, to reassure them that everything was above board and that the CPU never left Congress Place. It turned out that the entire episode was much-ado about nothing. There was no missing CPU, no conspiracy, no attempt at corruption. However, Holder’s swift action prevented the issue from fermenting and damaging the Party’s reputation.
Although his hands were full addressing internal party activities, Holder did not neglect his national responsibility. As chairman of the parliamentary Economic Services Sectoral Committee (ESC), Holder summoned the Management of GPL to explain the persistent and prolonged power outages plaguing the nation. He promised the nation that the airing would be public. However, the PPP tried to circumvent the transparency and accountability Holder was seeking by having the Prime Minister write to invite Holder and the committee to a private meeting with GPL Management at the Office of the Prime Minister. Holder immediately rejected the invitation. He said it is the parliamentary oversight committee that summons government officials, not the other way around. I served as the first chairman of the ESC when GUSUCO was summoned and appeared before the committee. Since then, the principle was established, as in other jurisdictions, it is the parliamentary oversight committee that summons officials.
Holder’s refusal to attend the Prime Minister’s secret meeting was a rejection of an attempt to violate parliamentary procedures, and it demonstrated his commitment to transparency and accountability. When he insisted that the Economic Services Committee maintain its authority to summon witnesses, Holder stood up for the integrity of the legislative process and refused to allow the GPL crisis to be swept under the carpet. In a time of frustration, uncertainty, and the lack of transparency and accountability as Guyanese citizens grappling with prolonged power disruptions, Holder’s unwavering resolve serves as a beacon of integrity and leadership.
It is striking to note that the Prime Minister went ahead with the sham briefing, but his attempt at cover-up has been exposed.
Over the last two weeks, with the Party Leader out of the country, Party Chairman Shurwayne Holder admirably stepped in. He demonstrated leadership, and for this, he must be commended.