Ex PNCR Treasurer denies he is a PPP agent

Last Updated on Tuesday, 3 January 2023, 21:44 by Denis Chabrol

Former People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Treasurer, Faaiz Mursaline, who has raised concerns about alleged lack of accountability and racist attacks in that party, on Tuesday rejected a claim that he was planted by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to discredit it.

“I’m not a PPP. I’m a born PNC and if I’m not in PNC, I am not in any other political party,” he told Demerara Waves Online News. He said that he has never been in contact with any high-ranking member of that party. “I don’t have any affiliation or anything to do with the PPP… I’m with the PNC. I ain’t jumping any ship,” he added.

Pro-PNCR commentator Norman Browne on Tuesday questioned PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton’s wisdom of having Mr Mursaline as Treasurer although he had openly supported the PPP after the 2020 general and regional elections.  “What was more surprising is why he was made Treasurer of the Party in the first place. I had intelligence that Mursaline was a PPP operative inside the PNC during the 2020 elections,” he said on his Facebook Page. At the same time, he urged persons not to criticise Mr Norton without first hearing the reason for his decision.

Mr Mursaline labelled Mr Browne as “very mischievous”.

Mr Mursaline said “I never called Mr Norton a racist” but restated that complaints were made to him about members but nothing was done.”

Reacting to persons, who have been calling him a “fool” for signing more than 20 blank cheques more so without supporting documents, Mr Mursaline pointed out that the other signatories were Mr Norton and then General Secretary Geeta Chanda-Edmond.

Up to Tuesday afternoon, Mr Mursaline said the PNCR Leader has not reached out to him.

Mr Browne posted screenshots of Mr Mursaline endorsing the PPP after the March 2020 polls. “When the PNC+AFC government closed all the last standing sugar estates in the country, it wasn’t only the PPP supporters they thrown out of employment; it was also their own supporters as well.  Now the PPP/C government will restore hope into the sugar workers by giving them their employment back in the industry.  Even PNC supporters will say PPP/C will restore hope in us again,” Mr Mursaline had said.

In another Facebook post, Mr Mursaline also stated that, “I campaigned on the APNU+AFC bandwagon of lies and deception. I lost many friends because I didn’t turn to the honest path. When I spoke at meetings, I didn’t have anything fundamental or true to say about the previous government. I am living in a community that thousands of persons, young and old, were thrown on the breadline. Now, there is hope for the thousands of workers to get back their jobs. It was too much to handle in PNC with racist comments about our Indian brothers and sisters. It was enough for me. Lert us build Guyana and continue to support a PPP/C government that is for all Guyanese,” he had said.

While admitting that he had made those comments, Mr Mursaline sought to defend his actions on the grounds that he had felt cheated of an opportunity to become the youngest parliamentarian at 18 years old although he had worked very hard in Region Six and spent a lot of his money on campaigning. He said his name had not been sent to the Representative of the List of Candidates for APNU+AFC, David Granger to be considered. “I felt betrayed, I felt saddened. We are human beings. I am no robot who is just going to take those feelings and throw them aside,” he said.

Mr Mursaline said although he had deleted those Facebook posts, PNCR supporters had circulated them in the last PNCR Congress.