Ruckus at PNCR Congress, shot fired

There was a ruckus early this afternoon at the PNCR Congress at Sophia during voting for positions on the executive and a shot was fired into the ground by a bodyguard.

Sources say the alarming development came after some Region Ten delegates including Sharma Solomon were not accredited to vote. Region Ten delegates and officials then stormed the area where the voting was taking place and there was an attempt to stop the voting. At this point, sources say the bodyguard fired a shot into the ground in what appeared to be an attempt to restore order. The voting process has since been suspended.

All week there had been signs of mounting tension between Congress Place and Region Ten over the accreditation of delegates to the 18th Biennial Delegates’ Congress and other matters. In addition, PNCR member Aubrey Norton who is challenging incumbent David Granger for leadership of the party had complained on Friday during the opening of the congress of one of his supporters being abused by someone connected to Granger.

Region 10 delegates on Friday also mounted what was believed to be an unprecedented protest and march into the Congress Hall. The tension between Region 10 and Congress Place has been dramatised in the way in which the party has attempted to discipline popular Region 10 MP Vanessa Kissoon over an altercation she had with party General Secretary, Oscar Clarke.

Today’s occurrences will further entrench widely held views of shadowy internal elections in the PNCR, deep divisions in the party and conduct unbecoming of the main constituent of the major opposition in the National Assembly.