In what has now evolved into a major power struggle between leading factions of the Peoples National Congress (PNC) over who should represent the party in the 12th Parliament, senior member James Bond has continued to express his disgust over the manner in which the selection process was carried out.
In his latest social media post on Tuesday, Bond suggested that PNC Chairwoman Volda Lawrence was excluded from the list because if she was selected, she would have been made the Opposition Leader; the first woman to have been appointed to such a position in Guyana’s history.
“They know if you go to Parliament you would have had to be made Opposition Leader. The first woman OL in our Parliament’s history. #WomenDenied #fascist,” Bond shared in a Facebook post earlier today.
Former Minister of State and APNU/AFC’s strongman, Joseph Harmon, who reportedly was selected by Coalition Leader David Granger, is likely to take on the role as Opposition Leader since Granger will not be returning to Parliament.
In a previous post directly targeting Granger, Bond declared: “We’ve done our best we’ve sacrificed and we will not be taken for granted. Time for NEW LEADERSHIP NEW DISPENSATION #WorstLeadershipInHistory #Fascist.”
On Monday evening, Bond took to social media to declare war against the Granger, labelling his leadership as “ineffective” and “mediocre”.
Bond specifically blasted the party for snubbing Lawrence, who served as the Minister of Public Health under the Coalition Government.
Lawrence’s exclusion came as a surprise to many since she is widely viewed as very influential within the party in terms of mobilising its support base.
“It is grossly disrespectful to the members of the PNCR, the Georgetown District of the PNCR and the Office of the Chairman of the PNCR to snub Lawrence for a seat in the National Assembly,” Bond declared.
Bond went further to blame Granger’s leadership for causing the party’s defeat at the March 2 General and Regional Elections as he threatened to “rewrite” the former president’s legacy.
“I want you to know I am coming for you…David Arthur Granger, you are not my friend; Amna Ally, you are not my friend, so whenever you see me, know you are not looking at a comrade,” Bond asserted.
He added that it is “time to rescue the PNCR from inept, ineffectual and aloof leadership. This is now a battle for the soul of what it means to be PNC. Enough of mediocrity. It is time I personally rewrite your legacy sir.”
According to media reports, a lot of prominent PNC/APNU members will not be making a return to parliament. These include Amna Ally, Basil Williams, and Aubrey Norton. Granger himself will also not be making a return.
In addition to Harmon, former Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Karen Cummings and former Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan will be making a return. Former Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson and former Minister of Natural Resource Raphael Trotman are also slated to return.
Some new faces include General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), Coretta McDonald, former Magistrate Geeta Chandon-Edmonds; former Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan; Juretha Fernandes and Devin Sears.
In addition, reports indicate that Attorney-at-Law and Senior Counsel, Roysdale Forde, has been included on the list.
