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“Dear Paul and Comrades,
Paul, I read your letter and I feel compelled to respond. Firstly, allow me to speak to the point you so elegantly made about “undeserving comrades who were not in the trenches but rise to the leadership in the party”. Truth be told, that I, Lurlene Nestor, approached Mr. Granger and asked him to contest for the party’s leadership. To this request he responded in the affirmative. It is no secret that I worked tirelessly and campaigned vigorously for him to assume this most coveted office. Did I find him undeserving because he did not come from the trenches, no! If I did, I might have found others to be in the same category. I believed then, that the party needed a fresh face and outlook and he presented that face. My many interactions with him led me to believe that he wanted the same things I wanted, among these are; a strong and united PNCR, a Guyana where the ordinary man is respected and given access to opportunity, and where decency, respect and love for all mankind abounds. I believed then that he had the capacity to bring about harmony and racial healing in the nation, I believe that he could have helped Guyana to rid itself of the brand of a narco-state.
Like many others, I believed he had the capacity to put country and party first and not self. However, shortly after, assuming the office of the presidency of Guyana I watched with horror as the unmasking began. It was not quite three months after the 2015 elections when I received a call from senior party operatives to travel to Guyana to assist in quelling the concerns and anxiety of party members who were concerned that the leader/president had abandoned them. Of course, I dropped everything I was doing and headed to Guyana, as I was also hearing from party comrades of how they were feeling. I visited many communities and listened to the concerns of comrades who, unreservedly expressed their disappointment and anguished. We reasoned and had good conversation. I informed those concerned, including the leader, of the serious concerns supporters and members had. I offered solutions and advice. I want to believe that my efforts were in vain because nothing changed it simply got worst. The leadership of the party seemed to have been consumed with government to the detriment of the organization and the people who thrust them into the seat of government. I wrote the leadership, including the leader/president several times to highlight concerns and offer solutions. However, my persistence and earnest desire to help hold the ship steady was rebuffed with disdain and contempt, though not directly. I was informed that it was even said that I, Lurlene Nestor wanted to ‘run the government’. I presumed that this feeling led to me being labeled as persona non grata in the eyes of the party leadership and government. However, this did not stop me from urging comrades to support the party and government, it certainly did not stop me from continuing to use my energies and talent to promote the party and government. When you understand the big picture these petty, selfish, ungrateful behavior cannot daunt good intentions. It was never about me but the party and ordinary people who have given so much! I believe that self-interest and personal ambition is partly responsible for why we are at this present time.
Truth be told, the party was disunited before Granger but it has become ten times more fractured since Granger. Having observed the maneuverings over the last five years, it is clear that the leader has decided that he will use these untenable realities to benefit himself. I suggested numerous times that there should be a leadership retreat where people are allowed to really speak to the issues that are affecting them and that they confront the lingering issues surrounding the disunity in the party, but despite a commitment to do it, it never happened. So, the party continues to be stuck in a protracted internal power struggle. How can any organization, worth its salt, continue in this way! The party has a monstrous problem which must be confronted head on. Unless we are at that place where breaking up and starting over from scratch becomes the only alternative. Mr. Granger has been allowed to rein without restraint or care for anyone but himself.
His continuous efforts to project his own thoughts, self-interest and ambition are laid bare for all to see, but yet those who were elected to speak for and on behalf of the ordinary members of the party remain mostly mute or reluctant to hold the leader accountable. Modern day politics require that those elected to serve, hold their leader accountable. If you can’t hold each other accountable, including the leader, how can you effectively hold the new government accountable! The coalition is replete with examples of Mr. Granger’s one-man rule.
There are those who suddenly decide that it is time to shout “Lurlene is you meh he leader” but these were the very people who enjoyed their luxurious government jobs and didn’t care about “who mek he leader”. So, for those people I wish to say that while it is true that I identified Mr. Granger for party leader and president, I refused to relinquish my duty to keep him accountable. I did not care to think how my speaking out would further alienate me from the powers that be, as my concern was mainly to keep the party members and supporters together, while pointing out to the leadership how their actions are hurting the very people they pledge to lead. I do not believe in selective righteousness, I do not believe in obfuscating the facts, I do not believe in remaining silent while an organisation disintegrates. I embrace democracy in all its forms, I therefore find it difficult to remain silent when dictatorial tendencies emerge and are allowed to flourish, unabatingly. I served in the PNCR leadership under two previous leaders, Hugh Desmond Hoyte and Robert Corbin. I sat at CEC meetings while these two men were at the helm of the party. I expressed my views, unreservedly at CEC meetings when these men led and not one time, did I feel that my views were not welcome, not one time did I believe my views got under the skin of any of those leaders. In fact, I believed they embraced my unrelenting and unwavering efforts to speak the uncomfortable truth. Because I was integrally involved in Mr. Granger’s accession to the office of leader of the party, I believe it is even more incumbent upon me to speak the uncomfortable truth. That truth I will continue to speak!
There are people who look to me for leadership and guidance and this I will continue to provide. Mr. Granger has disappointed me beyond my wildness imagination. Sadly, this disappointment is shared by so many of our members and supporters. His posture throughout the last five months said it all. His refusal to even show some respect for the nation and address the people was very disheartening. I long held the belief that a person treats you how they perceive you. Clearly, Mr. Granger appears to have no respect for the ordinary man hence his sleight of hand treatment of them. Since Sunday I have been inundated, with calls for his removal as party leader, many wept and many screamed that he has demonstrated sheer crassness towards party members and supporters. These people are not prepared to see Mr. Granger step into parliament as an ordinary back bencher, much less opposition leader. I am no different and I do not intend to remain silent. Going forward, the party will have to take some serious strategic political action and I do not see how a man who prides himself in being totally disengaged from his supporters can lead in this time.
It will be unthinkable for the leadership to even ponder on having Mr. Granger lead in this time, where mettle is needed. During this protracted five months of elections shenanigans and buffoonery, myself and other worked tirelessly to get Guyanese in the Diaspora to contact their congressional representatives. Countless hours, day and night were spent mobilizing people for this mass campaign effort, did Mr. Granger stop to think of the efforts of these people, did he understand the work it took to do this! I don’t think so! Was any effort made to even reach out to these people and just thank them for their efforts! In politics people come first and simple acts of thank you can go a very long way. Kindness, courtesy and appreciation are qualities to be admired in any person, especially someone in leadership position. I believe Mr. Granger’s behaviour has been enabled by an executive committee that continues to prop up his selfish ambition. Sadly, the stark division in the party is not helping the situation, even as members and supporters pray for unity and healing.
It appears that no one seems to understand the moment and time we are in. I have experienced five consecutive electoral defeats under the PNCR, this one is different. The same kind of appeasement that worked before may not work now. People have assumed a different posture, particularly because of what they know and what and how things were done. Sometimes the how is more impactful than the why. One would think that since the conceding to fraud last Sunday the party would be now, meet with members and listen to their concerns while drawing from their input as to how to move forward. Yes, the members input in needed for consensus to result. Consensus as to how to move forward, must have input from the ordinary people who will have to be a huge part of the process in this fight. To not solicit their input is to further alienate and disrespect them.
I would therefore urge the leadership to engage the people. Many strongly believe that there should be no engagement at the level of the parliament until such time that an election petition is decided. Many feel that the government should not be recognised as legitimate since the results shows that they got in office with fraudulent votes. If the party agrees to go to parliament, I believe it should explain to the members why it might be the right thing to do! To simply disregard the concerns of members and supporters would be to alienate them further. The party must also remember that it now finds itself in a position where it has no reliable media platform to disseminate its message, a failure of any political organization! How then can you get your message out! Social media will have to be a viable option and this will depend on the willingness of members and supporters to share the message of the organization. Hence, we are in a very different place where alienation of one person can cause its own headache for the party. This time is different!
Mr. Granger abandoned his supporters without warning, he has left many in a very embarrassing position where they are thrown out of their government lodging with impunity. What leader does this! Mr. Granger took to the airwaves after the tabulation of votes during the recount, to tell the world that the recount is a four-stage process. However, when the GECOM chair signaled that it was basically a one-stage agenda the president did not even consider it important to return to the people and explain what really happen, was he conned or did he signed up for exactly what GECOM’s chair claimed. To date supporters and members are still baffled as to what really transpired. Maybe Mr. Granger believes that he does not owe them any explanation, as all power and decision-making repose in him only. These are trends, I find to be very disturbing, and disrespectful. How can supporters and members continue to put their trust in a man who seems to care only about his personal outlook and not the interest of the people. Had he cared about the people his actions on August 2, 2020 would have been different. Today, I (a party member) am still waiting to hear the rational from the position of “valid votes only” to conceding to fraudulent votes.
I will end by reminding us of the words of Martin Luther King Jr. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy”. These are times of grave challenge. Will the leadership of the party stand up for the members and speak truth to power! Will it examine the recent realities and act unselfishly! Will it embrace a call for unity and will it confront the failing acts of its leader with uncompromised consciousness and truth! Will the party come first and personal interest recede! How will the leadership react in these times? I urge all to take a deep look at where we are as a nation and ask yourself if we can truly fight the monster before us, if we fight as a fractured organisation. The present leaders must be confronted with the undeniable truth that there is no confidence in his leadership and his ability to serve the party any longer, it took a lot for me to get to this point but I am here. Over the years I sounded my alarms to no avail, I am not sure what would be the outcome, if any of my alarm now but one thing I know is that I see clearly, what is happening! I am not prepared to continue in this vein. It takes courage to do the right thing, even if you end up doing it alone!
To say I am disappointed in Mr. Granger’s leadership is an understatement. Party over self, people over self! I must let Mr. Granger know my unadulterated views!
Regards
Lurlene Nestor