The People’s National Congress Reform says the ongoing town hall meetings which form the basis for the selection of its presidential candidate are creating a rejuvenation of the party in the eyes of many Guyanese. PNCR General Secretary Oscar Clarke made this disclosure amid public speculation that some of the five nominees would back out.
He told Guyana Times International that the newly-adopted process is living up to its purpose, as the created hype is now forcing some of the nominees to petition for an extension. “I think the response has been quite good… People have been satisfied,” he stated.
He said he was greeted by many citizens who asked for the dates and locations of other meetings. The remaining meetings are set for New Amsterdam, Georgetown, Linden and Mahdia. The nominees were at Linden and Lethem at the weekend. “It’s good to see the nominees facing up to the questions,” Clarke enthused. “It is a most interesting exercise…people are excited, and I am very happy about that.” Meanwhile, as Clarke talked about a process that he believes will augur well for the party at the national elections, speculation is rife about an in-house disagreement that could see the five nominees being whittled down to three. But this eventuality was dismissed as “a game of gutter politics”.
“The process approved by the party for identification of a presidential candidate is alive and well, as the programme of the town hall meetings continues across the country,” the Candidate Process Committee has said. Retired Brigadier David Granger and attorney James Bond, who were identified as the two candidates backing down, have confirmed that that rumour is false. The PNCR general secretary has confirmed that the party is on track to elect its presidential candidate on February 26 at the special congress — a process that arose with the announcement by leader Robert Corbin that he would not be running this year as that party’s presidential candidate.
In an update, Clarke said the Congress Committee has already been named and the sub-committees have already started to do their work in preparation for the highly-anticipated occasion. “People have already started to work,” he pointed out.
The PNCR remains adamant that its decision to identify a presidential candidate does in no way change the party’s position on forming a broad alliance or partnership with like-minded organisations and persons to contest the 2011 elections.
The next town hall meeting is at the New Amsterdam Multilateral School on Wednesday, February 9th. A request for an extension is being reviewed.
In the meantime, the PNCR is looking ahead to its biennial congress, usually held in August.
