Last evening Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde announced his withdrawal from the People’s National Congress Islahat (PNCR) internal election process, citing numerous irregularities and questioning the integrity of the party’s electoral procedures.
Forde, in a statement, declined all nominations for party positions, delivering a significant blow to the 22nd Biennial Delegates Congress scheduled to open today and runs to Sunday (June 28-30). In a strongly worded statement, Forde outlined several critical issues that led to his decision:
Lack of response from party leadership: Despite multiple written communications to the Central Executive Committee and the General Secretary regarding electoral integrity concerns, Forde received no response.
Delegate list irregularities: Forde highlighted noticeable discrepancies in the list of delegates, raising serious questions about the election’s transparency.
Unreasonable timelines: The party-imposed constraints that Forde believes compromise the democratic process.
Member dissatisfaction: Party members from various regions expressed frustration with the limited time provided to organize attendance and participation in the Congress.
Forde emphasised that his decision stems from a commitment to accountability, transparency, and democratic governance – principles he views as essential to the party’s electoral integrity.
He also pointed to the recent resignation of former General Secretary Dawn Hastings-Williams, attributing her departure to similar concerns about transparency, accountability, and internal democracy.
“The current electoral process has fallen woefully short of meeting even rudimentary standards necessary to uphold these principles,” Forde stated, expressing deep disappointment in the party’s failure to meet basic democratic standards.
While suspending his candidacy, Forde reaffirmed his commitment to the PNCR’s core values and ideals, particularly those established by party founder Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham.
He called on the PNCR leadership and members to reflect on these issues and take decisive action to improve future electoral processes.
Forde’s withdrawal and his stark critique of the election process represent a significant challenge to the PNCR’s internal governance and raise questions about the legitimacy of the upcoming party congress.
This development is likely to have far-reaching implications for the party’s unity and public image as it prepares for future national elections.