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Last Updated on Saturday, 29 June 2024, 14:03 by Writer
Ms Amanza Walton-Desir Mr Roysdale Forde
Attorneys-at-Law Roysdale Forde and Amanza Walton-Desir, who accepted nominations for the position of leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) suspended their campaign citing massive irregularities, on the eve of the start of their party’s three-day congress slated for June 28 to 30.
Their announcement came hours before the High Court was Friday due to consider applications for injunctions by a party member, Brian Collison, to block the congress until his concerns are addressed in a substantive matter. Elections for party leader and 15 members of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) are scheduled for Sunday.
Notably, Mr Forde and Ms Walton-Desir did not say that they were withdrawing from the race but said in separate statements containing similar concerns that they had suspended their campaigns. “Today, I hereby formally suspend my candidacy and acceptance of all nominations for the positions to which I have been nominated by party groups across the country,” Mr Forde said. “I come to you today to announce my decision to suspend my campaign for the PNCR leadership,” she said.
Ms Walton-Desir said she was “not at liberty to ignore” several concerns about the process. “As of the morning of June 27th, 2024, one day before the commencement of our Congress, a preliminary list of delegates has not been made available to me as a candidate to allow for claims or objections and further, there is a lack of agreement among all candidates contesting on the procedures for conducting the elections,” she said.
However, it was Mr Forde who listed his concerns about the process. He said despite several written communications addressed to the Central Executive Committee and the General Secretary regarding concerns about the integrity of the electoral processes for the party’s elections, he had not received any response.
Mr Collison says Article 26 of the Constitution of the PNC requires any motion to amend its Rules, including amendment of any rules pertaining to the procedure and processes by which the Party determines candidates to appear on election ballots, to be submitted to the General Secretary at least eight weeks before the Biennial Delegates Congress. In that context, he says the first circular for the 22nd Biennial Delegates Congress was generated a mere six weeks before the date of that event is to be held.
“The short timeframe that notice was given of the date that Congress will be held, denies members their Constitutional right to recommend new rules or amend existing rules, including amendment of any rules pertaining to the procedure and processes by which the Party determines candidates to appear on election ballots,” the applicant adds.
The affidavit by the applicant states that the inadequate notice of the date for the congress is also insufficient for meaningful participation by members and their groups because of inadequate administrative arrangements and timely notice to Party members and groups. He says the first Congress Circular also did not provide any information about the administrative arrangement and persons that are delegated special responsibilities. “The Party’s failure to timely set up the necessary administrative arrangements, appoint necessary persons to perform essential duties and inform members and groups of the arrangements and persons performing key congress duties, created substantial hurdles to members and groups exercising their rights at the Congress,” Mr Collison states. The applicant states that the PNCR’s failure to put adequate administrative arrangements and personnel for congress in place and inform members and Party groups about the arrangements and personnel, “created confusion and paralysis that has resulted in unfairness.”
The applicant states that the PNCR congress will be “unfair and prejudicial” if held on June 28-30, 2024 because there was a breach of the database that stores membership records and other essential information. The General Secretary or any other authorised person did not take adequate steps to ensure that the membership register, and essential records of the party were not compromised.”