With the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) losing some of its heavyweights in recent times, former President and Party Leader, David Granger said in a recent interview with Kaieteur News that he is one who “shall never walk away from the hardworking members, especially the women and young people.”
Granger told the newspaper that “there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning in my support for the People’s National Congress.”
Since the announcement of the September 1 polls, three prominent women parliamentarians walked away from the PNCR: Geeta Chandan-Edmond, Amanza Walton-Desir and Natasha Singh-Lewi. At the regional governance level, the PNCR lost its Region Four Vice Chairman, Daniel Seeram and its Region Four Vice Chairman, Daniel Sandy, both of whom have supported the PPP’s re-election for a second term.
Taking the foregoing into account, Granger told Kaieteur News that defections, despite their short-term shock effect, tend to be driven by private desires and personality clashes rather than by the determination to fulfil the legitimate expectations of the people from whom they expect electoral votes and money.
Be that as it may, he noted that the resignation of the three young female coalition parliamentarians is a matter that must not be ignored. “The…opposition parties need to address, not dismiss, the internal ‘push factors’ that triggered their decisions. Desertions are always likely to occur in Guyanese politics and, though undesirable, should not be unexpected,” said Granger.
He also noted that eections are not won by splendid defections, however notorious and well-timed. “Equally, they do cause uneasiness in the wider electorate, especially among women voters. It would be a serious error to discount the possibility of the ‘copycat’ effect of the departures.
“Guyanese have endured turbulent weeks but more shocking events are likely to occur over the next ten long weeks ahead until E-Day,” Granger said.
Overall, Granger said the events of the past week have been damaging, but not destructive.