Colleague MP…Granger headed down the wrong road –taking the PNCR with him

THE divide between the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and the PNCR group in Linden, PNCR Linden, continues to widen over problems with the leadership of Brigadier (Rtd) David Granger and unresolved matters related to PNCR stalwart, Vanessa Kissoon.

As recent as last Friday, Granger was booted out of Linden, where he held a meeting with Party stakeholders, by disgruntled Lindeners who were not allowed into the meeting.

Standing outside the Mackenzie High School, where the meeting was held, the protesting band complained about the imposition of a new Regional PNCR coordinator, in the person of Sandra Adams, as well as Granger’s refusal to address their concerns.
But despite their grievances, many of them have stressed that they will put their weight behind the PNCR should there be a move to early elections.

This fact has caught the attention of many politicos over the weekend.
One Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), who spoke to the Guyana Chronicle on condition of anonymity, contends that Granger seems to be taking advantage of this fact.
“The people in Linden, although disgruntled, have said they will still support the Party, on the basis of our founding principles, but Mr. Granger seems to be taking advantage of this and continues to do as he pleases,” the source said, adding: “This is not the way, because without the people’s support, the Party will suffer.”
BONE OF CONTENTION

What has been described in the last few days as “Granger’s sidelining of Lindeners” was also the bone of contention during the PNCR’s 18th Biennial Congress.

During the vote for key leadership positions, the gates of Congress Place, the Sophia headquarters of the PNCR, were closed to many Party members – several of whom were from Region 10 – even as the voting for new leaders was underway.

The locked-out members raised concerns over what they dubbed a “rigged” process to ensure that the incumbent Party leader, Granger, remains in power.

The ensuing controversy saw Mr. Aubrey Norton, a contender for the PNCR leadership, dropping out of the elections after citing serious problems with the election process.

As such, Granger was returned, unopposed, as Party Leader.
The three-day Congress was marred by a protest, which saw Kissoon, Norton, and Party supporters from Linden carrying placards that stressed the principles on which the Party was founded.
Linden, for decades, has been a stronghold of the PNCR.