PNCR’s Congress faces possible postponement

Last Updated on Sunday, 5 December 2021, 22:50 by Denis Chabrol

The People’s National Congress Reform’s (PNCR) long-awaited congress to elect a new leader and 15-member executive might be postponed, amid a variety of persistent claims and concerns, well-placed sources said late Sunday night.

Mr. Vincent Alexander has since been asked to determine if Congress could be held on December 11, 2021 and report to the Central Executive or the Congress Committee  by this week Thursday. A usually reliable source would only say, “I can neither confirm nor deny that statement.”

The source said that one suggestion being floated is for Congress to be held during the first quarter of 2022 instead.

Speaking on condition of strict anonymity, one of the sources said major concerns centre on how would all votes be recounted and additional ballots provided should there be need for a run-off poll if there is a tie. That source said that issue remained unresolved especially because delegates are being asked to vote in remote areas of Guyana where there is poor Internet connectivity.

Another source said there is incontrovertible evidence that not all nominees have been notified formally that they have been nominated to give an opportunity for the persons to decline or accept.

Issues that continue to linger ahead of the December 11 date for congress, according to another source, is that a number of groups has not received the Congress circular that is used as the basis for nominating delegates, and in other instances circulars had arrived with slates.

An Attorney-at-Law has since written to the General Secretary, Amna Ally expressing concerns about the process. A PNCR Central Executive member has also penned a letter indicating that “she was unhappy.”

Those vying for leader are Aubrey Norton, Joseph Harmon, Richard Vanwest Charles and Basil Williams.