Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton has dismissed the wave of endorsements for President Dr. Irfaan Ali by several former Opposition members, asserting that the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) remains resilient and focused on building a slate of “tested and proven” candidates for the upcoming elections.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Norton said the party is unfazed by the high-profile defections, which include former General Secretary and Member of Parliament Geeta Chandan-Edmond, Region Four Chairman Daniel Seeram, Vice Chairman Samuel Sandy, and Dr. Richard Van-West Charles — the son-in-law of PNC founder Forbes Burnham.
Other notable figures now aligned with the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) include James Bond, Thandi McAllister, former General Secretary of the Guyana Youth and Student Movement (GYSM), the youth arm of the PNCR, Lance Smith, and former Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase-Green.
“Our base is strong. Our party structure is intact, our party base is intact […] There will be no negative impact,” Norton stated, adding bluntly, “I don’t believe any of them can pull three votes.”
Norton said many of those now endorsing the PPP/C had long ceased active participation in the PNC Reform, suggesting that the government strategically amplified their exits to create a false sense of momentum.
“I see the prominence given to it as a manifestation of the weaknesses of the People’s Progressive Party,” he said. “They are clutching at anything […] Odinga went, Joe Hamilton went, many went, and the People’s National Congress Reform stayed intact. They will be no different.”
Asked whether he felt betrayed or why the party didn’t recall Chandan-Edmond from Parliament following her budget debate embrace of the government, Norton said there was little political value in doing so.
“It was felt at the time that there was not much to be had to recall her months away from elections,” he explained.
Nonetheless, Norton said the PNCR will move forward and make more strategic choices in the future.
“What I can assure you is that moving forward, most of the people on the PNC list will be tested and proven PNC persons. We will have new people, but we will ensure they are committed to our party,” he posited.
The general and regional elections are scheduled for September 1, 2025.
