Chairman of the People’s National Congress Islahat (PNCR), Shurwayne Holder M.P, telephoned party stalwart, former General Secretary, Amna Ally, and offered a full-throated apology for publicly attacking her. Village Voice News reached out to Ally for a comment. She acknowledged she spoke with Holder, and he was “very contrite.” She said, however, she will give him a chance to discuss first in public what he told her in private before delving further into their conversation.
Holder’s attack on Ally, including assertion that she may no longer be a member of the Party and is sympathetic to the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has attracted widespread criticism from party supporters and wider afield. In her response to Holder’s accusation Ally made known she joined the PNCR at age 14 and has been a member for more than 50 years.
The brouhaha has its genesis in Ally’s public support for candidate Roysdale Forde S.C, M.P, who recently announced his intent to contest for the Party’s top post. Ally has also communicated her displeasure with Party Leader, Aubrey Norton’s, management of the party, stating her unwillingness to support the party if he continues with his present style of leadership.
According to Ally, “Aubrey Norton’s style of leadership is undemocratic. He has demonstrated a lack of accountability in the Party by undermining and destroying various party structures and practices by which he can be held accountable effectively placing himself as an autocratic leader with a CEC rendered ineffective and impotent.”
What is generally believed to be Holder, taking the role as Norton’s attack dog, social media tirade against Ally last Saturday caught many by surprised. Ally has since fired back.
Issuing a statement that whilst she sees no “need to respond to deny the garbage allegations made by Comrade Holder to satisfy anyone,” the party stalwart repeated her disapproval with Party Leader Aubrey Norton’s leadership and urged party supporters to fight for the party because it belongs to everyone.
Ally told supporters “Do not be dissuaded by threats or fears. If we want to take on the PPP, we must be able to clean our house and remove the hindrances to positions where they can better serve and be made to account. The PNC is not Norton’s party. It’s not and never was a one race Party, and I will always be ready and willing to serve. I am just not prepared to ignore atrocities in government or in my party.”
Meanwhile, Village Voice News has been reliably informed party member Natasha Singh-Lewis M.P, wrote Norton requesting the party leadership convene a meeting soonest to address the public spat.
Singh-Lewis, in her letter, implored upon Norton to use his highest office in the Party to take the necessary actions to ensure the discontinuation of the blatant disrespect being displayed in the public domain among party comrades and ensure the implementation of a plan of action to unite Party comrades. She has volunteered her expertise to move the process along.
Norton told the media the PNCR Biennial Delegates Congress is scheduled to be held on or before August 31, 2024.