Several persons within the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) camp have told Guyana Standard of a worrying trend where Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton is using parliamentary seats to keep the “troop” in line.
This publication understands the tactic has been spotted since early last year, “when the handshake thing was hot.”
Apparently, People National Congress Reform (PNCR) representative, Jermaine Figueira was the first one to be threatened in a “not so subtle” manner. Sources say that Figueira shook the hands of President Irfaan Ali, even after Norton refused. “I heard that that young man was threatened to be removed from parliament over that simple hand shake.”
Guyana Standard understands that Norton never made moves, beyond his initial statements, to have Figueira removed.
But more recently, Tabitha Sarabo- Halley faced a similar fate. Guyana Standard understands that Sarabo- Halley voiced her concern over an incident that caught the public’s attention. A source said, “The young lady did not display any contempt for Norton’s leadership, she simply expressed a view that, in my opinion, is useful to us. But Norton did not see it as constructive. He basically told her that WPA (Working People’s Alliance) wants back their seat.”
Guyana Standard was told that Norton does not posture that way with Members of Parliament who represent the Alliance for Change (AFC), “but they have their own problems. They are not heard and they are starved of opportunities that or normally given to MPs.”
The source said that while AFC members are no ill-treated by their leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, they too are dissatisfied with the fact that Ramjattan is failing to stand up to Norton.
