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The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is apparently scheduled to have its Biennial Congress no later than December 2023. However, Party leader, Aubrey Norton, holds a different view. Last week Norton, in a News Source article, announced a delay of the congress to between April and August next year.
On December 18, 2021 the Party held a Special Congress to elect a new executive, with Norton emerging as the Leader. The Party’s last Biennial Congress was held in August 2018. The next congress, which should have been held in 2020 was not held. In March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a global health emergency and pandemic, which forced a lockdown in many countries, including Guyana.
Rule 15 of the Party constitution which speaks to the ‘Biennial Delegates Congress,’ expressly states: “The supreme authority of the Party shall be the Biennial Delegates Congress, which shall be held at such time and place every two (2) years as the General Council or the Central Executive Committee may decide.” Party supporters have been calling for this rule to be enforced.
Party General Secretary, Dawn Hastings-Williams, told News Source the Party will be holding its congress by December and is to meet this month for General Council.
The General Secretary, who is the Party’s Chief Executive Officer, assured mechanism will be put in place to ensure the smooth and successful holding of the congress and Council. The General Council is the second highest decision-making forum, with Congress being the highest. Per the constitution, the General Council should be held every quarterly. The Council has not met for more than a year.
There are leaders in the Central Executive Committee (CEC), regional and group levels who have expressed concerns about the present management of the Party, Norton’s leadership style, disregard for the consensus decision-making approach in the Party, and compliance with the rules.
A Party elder, who asked not to be named, told Village Voice News, the Party is in crisis “not that it cannot be corrected” but he doubts “whether CEC members are prepared to be honest with Mr. Norton.” According to him, therein lies the problem. “Who will bell the cat,” he asked.
Retired Rear Admiral and former Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Gary Best is one of CEC members who is keeping it honest. In a letter to the Party Chairman and other members of the CEC, reportedly seen by News Source, he drew attention to Norton’s “unilateral and unauthorised” decision-making style in a Party that is driven by consensus decision-making. Best, who secured the second highest number of votes at the Party’s 2021 election, further advised Norton, his decision of postponing congress was done without any consultation or agreement from the CEC.
Also, an attorney, Best warned other members of the CEC not to allow the Party’s democratic gains “to be jettisoned by unilateral decision making.” Addressing speculation about the Party having the money to host a Congress this year, he counselled, once the date is set, enthusiasm and finance will flow, “and democracy will continue to be the winner”.
Another CEC member, Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, is on record calling for adherence to the Party’s constitution. Appearing recently on Mark Benschop’s “Straight Up” show, Forde said biennial Congress is due this year and it is important for the PNCR that the constitution be respected. He went on to say that whilst he heard comments about holding Congress next year the Congress should be held no later than December 31 2023.
Questioned back then by Village Voice News on the matter, Forde, who is shadow attorney general and minister of legal affairs, said the constitution is the law of the Party and it should be respected and protected. “I expect that this will be done, failing which there will be an indictment on the Party as it relates to our ability to function in keeping with the laws and to hold government accountable.” According to him “We [the PNCR] cannot be preaching one thing and practicing another thing.”
