Greenidge replaces Murray as presidential candidate contender

Former Finance Minister Carl Greenidge has been nominated as a presidential candidate for the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), while chartered accountant and attorney-at-law Christopher Ram was also nominated.

Guyana Times International confirmed on Monday that Greenidge has been nominated by the team that was backing the late Winston Murray for that post. In an invited comment, PNCR’s Aubrey Norton said he believes that Greenidge might be the best replacement for the late Murray, an economist.  

“A number of us believe that Carl Greenidge has the quality, integrity and honesty,” Norton told Guyana Times International. He also believes that Greenidge has not only the political experience, but a good knowledge of the Guyanese economy. “He has the attributes that we need,” Norton declared.   

Greenidge served as finance minister, planning and trade, under Desmond Hoyte’s administration between 1985 and 1992. Currently serving as a technical adviser to the Caricom Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN), the new nominee has more than 30 years’ experience in international development, public policy, international financial and trade negotiations, as well as science and technology.

He has also served as Director of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation and as Secretary General of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States.

The PNCR is to nominate a presidential candidate in February 2011.That person will come from a list of nominees which includes party executive and attorney-at-law Basil Williams, retired Brigadier David Granger, and former public service minister and child psychologist Dr Faith Harding.

The names of nominees had to be submitted to the party’s regional secretary between November 27 and December 4. Having receiving the lists of nominees from the various party groups, the regional secretary is expected to convene a Special Extended Regional Committee meeting to integrate group priority lists into a regional priority list, which will be forwarded to the party’s general secretary, Oscar Clarke.

 Granger overseas                

On Monday, December 6th, retired Brigadier David Granger left for a one-week visit to party members in New York, New Jersey and Washington D.C. The visit is in response to an invitation from PNCR members and concerned Guyanese in the diaspora.  A statement from the Granger camp quotes him as saying that the mission will be “to emphasise the importance of party unity, and to attract former members to return to the party”.

Granger’s visit will include press conferences, radio programme interviews, and town hall meetings. There will also be interactions with Guyana Defence Force veterans.