PNCR executive gives “full, solid support” to Volda Lawrence after James Bond criticises party leadership

Last Updated on Thursday, 15 October 2020, 18:09 by Denis Chabrol

A day after outspoken People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) member James Bond roasted the party’s top leaders for virtually abandoning their Chairman, Volda Lawrence who has been facing the police and courts for alleged electoral fraud, that party passed a resolution fully backing her and warning of consequences.

“Be it resolved that the Central Executive Committee of the PNCR expresses its full, solid support for Ms. Volda Lawrence in the trumped up charges brought against her by the Police at the behest of the PPP regime,” states the resolution dated October 14, 2020.

The PNCR’s Central Executive also said it was fully and solidly behind executive member Christopher Jones and longtime party member, Carol Smith-Joseph, saying they have been similarly harassed by police and are on bail for “spurious offences.”  Police several weeks ago seized several barber shop chairs and air condition units from Mr. Jones’ residence that he had obtained from a government-funded entrepreneurial project. He has maintained that the items have been lawfully obtained and that he had followed all of the steps.

The party called on the State to scrap the charges against  Ms. Lawrence and warned that the party would retaliate politically. “The CEC demands an immediate withdrawal of these malicious and vexatious charges against the aforesaid members of the Central Executive Committee of the PNCR and warns that the political consequences of these misadventures by the Police lies squarely at the feet of the PPP regime,” the PNCR said.

The CEC’s resolution was passed on Wednesday several hours after the PNCR Chairman was slapped with two charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and two days after Mr. Bond assailed party leader, David Granger, party General Secretary Amna Ally, Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon, and central executive members  Aubrey Norton for not being on the frontline in defence of Ms. Lawrence.

“Imagine the second highest ranking person in the PNC is arrested and in custody and look around tell me if you see any of these guys . You see David Granger? You see Joseph Harmon? You see Amna Ally, Aubrey Norton? You seen anybody from the Central Exec  here ? It’s ordinary comrades out here. You see any of these leaders who want to lead and who fighting up for leadership and running, lickin down and want me this and want to be that and this is one of your own,” said Mr. Bond, an unabashed ally of Ms. Lawrence, on a Facebook Live post from outside the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on October 13, 2020 when she reported to police.

Mr. Granger, Mr. Harmon and Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader Khemraj Ramjattan had appeared in front of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to lend moral support to Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo and his wife. Ms. Lawrence was also absent from the recent official opening of the PNCR’s Congress House at Agricola, Greater Georgetown. Ms. Lawrence had also unambiguously called for peace and new ways of settling differences during the unrest on the West Coast Berbice Public Road following the killing and mutilation of Joel and Isaiah Henry in early September, but Mr. Harmon had cautioned that “if some of us have to be inconvenienced for justice to be served then so it will have to be my brothers and sisters, so it will have to be.”

Mr. Bond flayed the PNCR for being virtually silent as the incumbent People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) continues to mismanage the country since returning to office on August 2, 2020 and “showing strength in more areas than one.”People are not asking for mayhem and confusion. People are asking that we hold this govt accountable; show some balls,” he said. He claimed that financiers and other supporters were already withdrawing from the PNCR.

Ms. Lawrence, Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers, Mr. Mingo, Registration Officer Sheffern February and Information Technology officer, Enrique Livan are before the court on several charges related to the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections.