Georgetown: After being accused of electoral fraud by international and local stakeholders and holding onto power for five months after the elections, the leadership of the People’s National Congress (PNC) – the largest party in the APNU+AFC coalition – has come under attack from one of its most active members, James Bond.
Bond is calling for removal of Former President David Granger as head of the party. On his Facebook Page Monday evening, the former Parliamentarian blamed the electoral loss at the feet of Granger citing his poor, aloof and weak leadership.
“Your leadership has failed us. Your leadership cost us an election…and I am going to write that history. The reason we’re in opposition is because of your leadership. So I would ensure when history records who is the strongest leaders in the PNC, and who are the weakest leaders in the PNC, who are the most incompetent leaders in the PNC, I am going to ensure that history is written. Lack of leadership. There’s a deficit,” Bond said.
He described the current leadership of the PNC as “fascist.”
As such, Bond has committed himself to a “battle” over the next few years, to ensure that the party benefits from strong leadership.
“For the next couple of years, God spare my life, I have a battle to fight. A fight to ensure we have a leader who respects the membership, who respects central exec, who govern and rule, and who will lead us in a manner in which we deserve to be lead; who will respect decisions and will look for the decision of the community,” he said.
The PNC member criticized Granger, and executive member Amna Ally, putting on record that when they look at him, they must not see him as a “friend.”
“When you see me, you are not looking at a comrade. I have one leader, Volda Lawrence,” Bond said, noting that he only respects the authority of Lawrence and no one else in the PNC.
Bond’s comments were made subsequent to an unofficial announcement that senior party leaders were excluded from the list of persons who will be representing the APNU in the National Assembly.
Among those not included on the list were: Granger, Ally, Lawrence, Basil Williams, and Aubrey Norton.
Lawrence currently serves as the Chairman of the PNC, the second-highest ranked leadership position in the party, after that of party leader.
Bond took umbrage to Lawrence’s exclusion, describing her as an asset which the PNC continues to benefit from.
“The thing that triggered me is the snub on comrade Volda Lawrence. She was not consulted; she was not asked if she wanted to go to Parliament,” he said, adding that the party’s Chair was summoned to a meeting where she was informed that she would not be representing the opposition in the legislature.
Bond reflected on Lawrence’s contribution, noting that she has served the PNC for decades, and remains the most popular female in the PNC.
“This is someone who won the Chairmanship of the party and this is an immensely popular person in the party; this is no fly by night [person], and then you’re gonna leave her out of Parliament? She represented Georgetown which brought about 50,000+ votes. The entire country respects her,” he noted.
The former MP also registered his disappointment with being excluded from the list, after having submitted a letter to the leadership of the party, indicating his interest in serving as a Parliamentarian.
Bond said that there has been no acknowledgement of his letter, but that he read in the press that he was not being considered as one of the prospective MPs.
“The APNU+AFC need me more than I need them,” he said.
But despite this, the young politician reaffirmed his commitment to the party, noting that he will not be leaving, but instead working towards replacing its leadership.
“They can’t put me out the PNC, I’m not going anywhere. We must ensure we go to [the 2021] congress strong to change the leadership of the PNC, from central exec right down. If you are fed up of the inept leadership that is going on, give me a call,” he urged members and supporters.
The practising Attorney-at-Law said a lot of persons who lost their regions are instead going into Parliament rather than those who have a constituency and are influencers.
When the PNCR lost the 1992 elections, then party strongman Hamilton Green had openly criticised then party leader Desmond Hoyte for the party losing power. Mr. Green was subsequently summoned to a disciplinary committee and expelled from the party. He later went on to form the Good and Green Guyana (GGG) party which had secured the plurality of seats in the Georgetown City Council at the 1994 local government elections..
Selections of Parliamentarians from the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) list of candidates appears to have devolved into a public power struggle within the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).
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