Dear Editor,
The business of selecting Parliamentarians is a very serious one, which upon conclusion, ought to display a team comprising the best minds of any political party, capable of handling the affairs of Parliament efficiently and effectively. Therefore constituents, upon the perusal of the final list of parliamentarians selected, should be comfortable with the list of names present, even though those they might have expected to see on the list are missing. There must be a heightened degree of satisfaction felt by constituents that their affairs will be competently handled by the parliamentary team selected by the party which they supported.
APNU has selected its parliamentary team which by all accounts is a good team. There is a notable youth presence with a fair gender distribution and a fine menu of learned minds all capable of representing the affairs of their constituents in parliament. It is close to having the right balance of skills and breadth of experience, and does appear to be a group of people who can work together so as to be more, rather than less, than the sum of their parts. But is it the best team APNU could have selected? Can APNU supporters be happy with the exclusion of one of their most experienced political all-rounders, Mr Aubrey Norton?
I have noticed some commentators alluding to the fact that Mr Norton was instrumental in shepherding the people of Linden into the arms of APNU, which is commendable. But he was only doing what he knows best, being the fine politician he is. We should never embrace the erroneous misconception that because persons work hard during an election campaign they should be rewarded with great positions. Indeed this might appear to be a faulty part of our political culture, especially when one looks at the way some persons are pitchforked into high political office.
Mr Norton is no slouch. Actually he is a remarkable politician who operates at different levels with an unrivalled commitment to the development of Guyana and the Guyanese people. As a politician, he could arguably be referred to as the quintessential street politician; one who connects easily with the grassroots supporters and displays all the political finesse and eloquence of the stately politician.
A man of Norton’s qualities ought not to be sidelined in this must crucial time in our political history. APNU must rethink its decision and ensure this outstanding political all-rounder is on their parliamentary team.
The parliamentary team APNU has selected is a good team. But it is not their best team. APNU must remember that having a good parliamentary team matters for its direct impact on parliament, and matters also because the team is a key component of the party’s wider policy-making process; it is the shop front to the public during the non-campaign years. Parliament is the highest forum in the land. Perhaps APNU might revisit its parliamentary selection process and ensure that it not only produces a better team but the best team to represent their committed supporters.
Yours faithfully,
Richard Francois
