Dear Editor,
I have been a PNC party member for more than fifty years. I have never seen such disenchantment, infighting and lack of party morale as I am seeing now. Less than sixteen months before the next general election, these are my top ten reasons for supporting opposition leader, Aubrey Norton.
1. Just over two years ago, Mr. Norton overwhelmingly won the leadership position. It takes time to learn, grow and garner support across party lines to win general elections. Dr. Cheddi Jagan was opposition leader for nearly thirty years, before he finally won the presidency.
2. If Mr. Norton loses the leadership position in August, it would mean that we will be having our fourth leader in four years. Finally, Guyana will be having something that is truly a first in the world today – four different opposition leaders in four years.
3. I have just returned from a business trip to Grenada. My PNC political party is rapidly becoming the laughing stock of the Caribbean. My Grenadian host gently admonished me to tell my political party bigwigs to ‘get their act together’.
4. The PPP/C has a track record of sticking with their proven and tried leaders, and which have delivered them the presidency for 27 of the last 32 years. I know that they are enjoying the imbroglio that the PNC party has put themselves in. Changing Mr. Norton now, will only put added wind beneath the PPP sails.
5. Our enemies love internal fighting and turmoil. President Maduro would like nothing better for the opposition infighting to metastasize to the ruling PPPC.
6. Leader Norton has been a PNC stalwart and loyalist for nearly fifty years. He knows the party, inside and out, has paid his dues and is the accepted leader by the majority of the party. In an election that is expected to be close, the detractors risk alienating thousands of ‘old school loyalists’ like me – who would not hesitate to stay home, if we see personal animus is used to displace our proven leader.
7. For the PNC to win a national election, we would need to win crossover votes from the Indian majority population in this country. I respectfully submit that no opposition leader has earned more respect from the Indian people than Aubrey Norton.
8. Mr. Norton is familiar with the international diplomatic corps. He has their trust and has won their praise. Steven Sackur from the BBC recently interviewed both President Ali and opposition leader Norton. While President Ali was rude and abrupt, Mr. Norton won praise for his calm and rational way of elucidating his position and arguments.
9. The people who are likely to challenge Mr. Norton for the leadership role will need to identify where they differ from him, and what they would do differently in the future. “Shut down the government and take to the streets” will not win you general elections. So far, the people who are likely to challenge him are emerging from the existing party. Unless they can tell us exactly what they wanted to do differently from Mr. Norton, but was prevented from doing so….they are bound, culpable and married to all of his decisions. Plus, there are no bonus points for undermining the leader in leaked phone calls.
10. There is a salient but unspoken tug of war for the leadership of the opposition, between its leaders and some ‘social media stars’. Sadly, the official elected party leaders of the opposition seem to be at the mercy and the whims of others. Many party faithful have told me that they would like to see Mr. Norton tell them to ‘get lost’. Tell them that he is in charge and he will run and win the presidency with them, or without them.
Respectfully submitted,
Herbert Allen
