In the months ahead of the Biennial Congress of the People’s National Congress Islahat there was a lot of talk about constitutional breaches. These breaches were said to have been centered on the delay in holding the congress.
Voices were raised on social media. To be exact, five people kept up the chant. The focus was on the leader of the PNCR, Aubrey Norton. They accused him of being dictatorial, of delaying the holding of the congress and of sidelining old stalwarts.
Despite his best efforts Norton could not silence the claims. He said that the Central Executive Committee would meet to determine the holding of the congress. He also provided evidence that this was not the first time that the congress has been delayed.
He showed that on five occasions dating back to the tenure of the late President Desmond Hoyte that congresses were delayed. That did not slow the attacks.
The Central Executive Committee met and announced that the congress would be held from June 28 to June 30, This brought a new chant. The notice for the holding of the congress was too short.
By then there were challengers for the leadership. The challengers were all prominent people.
Things did not end there. There was news about a missing CPU from Congress Place. It contained the names of the party members. That turned out to be a storm in a teacup. The CPU was at Congress Place, the headquarters of the People’s National Congress Islahat.
However, an investigation was promised and was conducted. Nothing untoward was done to the CPU. It was simply moved. On whose instructions was not made clear. The congress was going ahead.
Meanwhile the attacks against Norton continued. The five talked about his ineptitude, about him being unfit and incapable of challenging the People’s Progressive Party at the polls whenever the elections are held and of course, his drinking spot.
The latter was a major talking point. Aubrey Norton was perhaps the only person who would go somewhere to have a drink. There were never criticisms of any politician going to Palm Court or to the bar at Marriott or to Sleep In or to any of the drinking spots.
To their credit, they never claimed that he got drunk. But had he been a regular visitor to any drinking spot he would have been criticized.
Two weeks before the congress came a bombshell. Norton had attempted to rape a female member of the party. The brouhaha caused the elders of the party to convene a press conference to address the issue.
There had never been a report to any forum so it was unclear what was being investigated. The story kept changing. On one occasion Norton was giving the female a lift after a funeral, from Georgetown to Linden at the request of another party member.
Then the story changed to say that the female was being given a lift from Christianburg to Mackenzie. No name of who requested Norton’s action.
The chants grew loud. Norton should step down as party leader. It was not a case of innocent until proven guilty.
In the end the supposed victim came out to say that she never asked anyone to promote the report. She said that for whatever motive, the person was wrong to promote her matter. Besides, she said that whatever was said occurred more than a decade ago.
This sparked the question of ‘Why now?’ One group– extra PNCR–even caused a letter to be published in the newspapers. In swift order the matter died. The attackers crept back into their corners to plan other attacks against Norton.
There is a saying the uneasy is the head that wears the crown. Norton’s head must have had many uneasy moments. The attacks continued. Some accused him of corruption, others of fixing the Congress Committee for the congress.
With five days to go, the PNCR General Secretary resigned. She claimed to have been sidelined in the preparations for the congress.
For the records, the attackers, most of whom reside in North America and have no part to play in the congress, kept up their calls for Norton’s head.
But Norton’s supporters were not quiet. They responded with such vehemence that personal attacks were made. One of the contestants for the leadership actually went public to beg people to desist.
She reminded that those attacked were fathers, mothers, wives, sisters and family members. She too did not escape the attacks but she held firm to the view that all were party members and therefore family. Families do not try to kill family members.
From appearances, the enemy was the party leader. These people have never attacked their main enemy, the PPP, as harshly as they attacked their leader. Some claimed that they never saw such attacks emanating from the PPP against its officials.
That probably highlights the extent of democracy in one party or the fear that exists in the other. But indeed, some of Norton’s attackers have been harsh in their criticisms of the PPP, particularly Bharrat Jagdeo.
Such have been the attacks that Jagdeo went as far as to threaten to silence certain social media platforms. He caused some people to be charged with cybercrimes, more a matter of harassment. These cases are going nowhere in the courts.
Whatever the case, the congress is going ahead as planned. Norton has secured most of the nominations for the position of party leader.
When it is over, one must wonder at the fallout.