It didn’t surprise your Eyewitness to hear that David Granger officially took an open-ended “leave of absence” from his position as “PNC Leader”. According to individuals who’re with the PNC from its formation in 1958, this was an unprecedented act. While past leaders might’ve taken such leave for one reason or other, it was done informally. But in the context of the vicious struggle by various factions within and without the PNC to replace Granger, one obviously has to view the move as a reaction to the calls for a November Congress to decide the leadership question.
So, the question is whether he’s facing some medical challenges from his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma – which, as of the last announcement, had been in remission; or is he removing himself from the leadership race? Your Eyewitness doesn’t think it’s either. More likely than not, Granger’s playing possum. Or, as we say in Guyana, “playin’ dead fuh see who gon come to de funeral”! In the coming weeks, PNC MPs, activists and members of the Executive etc will have to take a position on the timing of Congress, and indicate whom they’ll support in any eventual leadership elections at such a Congress. This should be a weathervane for Granger to gauge the direction the (political) wind’s blowing in the party.
Most critical for us to notice is that Granger didn’t QUIT as party leader. As such, he remains the leader, whether Volda Lawrence or anyone else ACTS as leader in the meantime. He can therefore step back in the Leadership position anytime he so chooses. With so many vying for his position – Norton, Lawrence, Van West-Charles, Solomon Sharma, etc, – the struggle will become even more vicious among these wannabes.
Granger was the piñata that all of them could beat up on to their heart’s satisfaction, but now their firepower will be directed at each other. As the Mafia would say, it’s time to “go to the mattresses!”
In such a scenario, there will be strident calls from the rank and file for them to rise to the needs of their constituency and stop the infighting. This will never happen, of course: each contestant will simply insist only he/she has what it takes to get rid of the dastardly PPP! As implied above, Granger may let the bloodletting go on until the Congress, at which time he can step in as the avuncular senior statesman, “the only man who can unite the party to defeat the PPP.”
After continuous PPP rule for twenty-three years, he did it in 2015 by a brilliant strategy of rebranding the PNC-as-APNU, and struck a bargain with the AFC.
Which of his opponents can match that record??
…on Afghan refugees here
Your Eyewitness was certainly surprised to see a letter arguing against resettling Afghan refugees here! His first question was: Who in the world offered Guyana as a destination for Afghan refugees? Such suggestions can only be handled on a Govt-to-Govt basis. Like back in the day, when we were ruled by Britain, the British Government suggested bringing Jews from Europe to settle our Rupununi. That idea was scuttled pretty quickly.
More recently, during the PNC dictatorship, the Americans raised with Burnham the possibility of bringing some Hmong tribespeople who had fought on their side during the Vietnam War. He declined, and they were received by next door Suriname. They’ve done pretty nicely for themselves, thank you.
But someone has to be pretty tone-deaf as to what’s going on here right now politically to float that particular balloon. Especially after we imposed visa restrictions on Haitians because we had enough to handle on our plates.
Yes…Guyana has to pass!
…on BLAZE?
The name of the game for development today is “connectivity” – internet connectivity. There were great expectations raised when GTT had introduced their BLAZE connection, promising “blazing” speeds.
That’s now been replaced by the more modestly named “FIBRE”.
Viva competition!
