Granger pits disgruntled Linden PNCR supporters against protesters in New York

Last Updated on Saturday, 18 October 2014, 2:19 by GxMedia

Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), David Granger on Friday contrasted the behavior of a small band of protesters, who were locked out of a meeting he held in Linden two weeks ago, with protesters in Richmond Hill, New York.

“The people in Richmond Hill they were not shouting, they were listening to what I was saying, they had there placards but they listened, they weren’t screaming. They listened, even shook my hands,” he told a news conference on Friday.

Back in late May, Granger held meeting in the East Indian Guyanese dominated Richmond Hill, New York area- long considered the Diaspora heartland of supporters of the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

In contrast, Granger said the disgruntled PNCR members and supporters who were locked out of the Mackenzie High School while he had been meeting with others inside, was well-planned and orchestrated.

“I am concerned about it. People were not invited to break up or obstruct the meeting. So I am concerned. I do not feel it is fair to those persons who wanted to listen to be shouted at or to have been prevented to coming from the meeting by other persons, it was a deliberate move it was something that was contrived,” he said.

A group of diehard supporters and members have repeatedly accused Granger of making unilateral decisions without consulting regional MPs and other representatives. They have also charged that The PNCR Leader has repeatedly failed to meet them to iron out concerns.

Among the examples is what they claim was an apparent agreement in 2012 between A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and government to hike electricity rates in Linden by reducing the State subsidy to BOSAI Minerals that generates electricity and resells it to two providers. When it had become apparent that tensions had been boiling over, top APNU officials rushed to Linden to quell the unease.

The most recent example is what they say is the Central Executive’s imposition of Sandra Adams as Regional Coordinator. Adams was recently given airtime on the Linden branch of the State-owned National Communications Network (NCN) to explain why several persons were locked out and police were summoned to the Mackenzie High School.

That Linden group has also expressed concern at the suspension of Region 10 APNU Parliamentarian, Vanessa Kissoon from the PNCR without due process. Her status in the party is unclear because she was allowed to attend the Congress held in July.

But the PNCR Leader has said that the protesters were merely a small faction that preferred to bypass standard grievance procedures.