How can the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), the backbone of the main parliamentary Opposition, profess to be “champions of democracy” when its own internal election is marred by allegations of rigging?
This is the question recently posed by Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall. The minister’s query comes even as PNCR supporters and party members, four days after the casting of ballots, eagerly await the list of persons who will form the Central Executive Committee – the highest decision-making body in the party.
Prior to the elections also, concerns were raised over the alleged disappearance of a computer component which contains the membership register, the short notice for election, and irregularities flagged on nomination day. Two contenders for the leadership position, Roysdale Forde and Amanda Walton-Desir. pulled out of the race citing concerns over irregularities. This paved the way for the incumbent, Aubrey Norton to go unopposed.
Nandlall zeroed in on these concerns, saying that while the PNCR is very vocal about transparent electoral processes, it cannot keep its own house in order.
“They pretend to be the champions of democracy and then every time they have elections, internal elections, you see the hand of fraud. You hear allegations of fraud…If they are accepting publicly that their own elections are undemocratic and fraudulent and irregular, then how can they present themselves as democratic?,” said the AG.
He concluded, “How can they ever speak about free and fair elections and about a transparent process? And this is the main opposition party. How can they even begin to master the credibility of speaking about rigged, about fair elections in the future?”
