Granger to Norton: “Have meaningful consultations with Ramjattan to fill MP vacancies”

Representative of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change List of Candidates, David Granger has asked the leaders of the two coalition partners, APNU’s Chairman Aubrey Norton and AFC’s Leader Khemraj Ramjattan, to have meaning consultations on filling the two Opposition seats that are currently vacant in Parliament.

A statement on Friday disclosed that Granger, former President and Leader of APNU, wrote the two coalition leaders after receiving two letters from Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, on the vacancies in the Opposition’s side of the House.

“The Representative of the List can take no further action until the APNU Chairman and AFC leader conduct their consultations and submit their nominations. He now awaits the names of the two candidates who will fill the vacant seats before informing the Chief Elections Officer,” the statement noted.

These seats became vacant following the resignation of former Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon, who officially resigned as an APNU/AFC Member of Parliament since March 15, and former Education Minister under Granger’s coalition Government, Nicolette Henry, whose resignation took effect on March 31, 2022.

“The Representative of the List has since written to Mr Aubrey Norton, Chairman of A Partnership of National Unity and Mr Khemraj Ramjattan, Leader of the Alliance For Change, requesting their meaningful consultations on the nominations of candidates to fill the vacancies,” the missive detailed.

Moreover, it was noted that Granger has since informed the Chief Election Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Vishnu Persaud, of the present development as well.

The procedure requires the representative to inform the Chief Election Officer of two names to be extracted from the party’s List of Candidates to be sworn in as Members of Parliament.

But according to Friday’s missive, Granger has followed and acted in accordance with the Constitution of Guyana and the Representation of the People Act (RoPA) with regard to the resignation and replacement of members to the National Assembly “at all material times”.

The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), which is the leading party in the APNU/AFC coalition, has already insisted that its Leader, Aubrey Norton, would be appointed as the new Opposition Leader. Therefore, it is likely that Norton would be appointed to one of the two Opposition vacancies in the National Assembly.

There has been no Opposition Leader in the National Assembly since Harmon resigned from the post on January 26 this year following mounting pressure from the new PNC Executive.

Though he stepped down as leader of Opposition, Harmon had indicated that he would remain a Member of Parliament.

But earlier this month, he also announced his “intention to resign” from the National Assembly and formally did so about two weeks later.

Harmon had contested for leadership of the PNC but lost to Norton who won by a landslide victory. Granger, who was the immediate past leader of the PNCR, did not contest for re-election.

In fact, neither Harmon nor Granger was elected to the Central Executive Committee of the party – the highest decision-making body of the PNC.

The APNU/AFC Opposition accounts for 31 of the 32-seat parliamentary Opposition, while the joinder list comprising of A New and United Guyana (ANUG), the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and The New Movement (TNM) occupies the remaining seat. The governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) holds a one-seat majority in the 65-seat House, having won 33 seats.

When the Opposition Leader post became vacant earlier this year, the joinder list representative in the National Assembly, LJP Leader Lennox Shuman, had indicated that he would not be participating the process to elect someone to that position.

At a press conference earlier this month, PNC Chairman Shurwayne Holder disclosed that, “The party had made a decision that the party leader will become the leader of the Opposition… We had consultations with APNU and AFC. As far as I am concerned, that’s a done deal”.

In addition to being Opposition Leader, Norton also has a mandate from the PNC Executive to take over Granger’s role as Representative of the List. AFC’s Ramjattan is the Deputy Head of the List.

But the former PNC leader is yet to step down as Head of the List, however, he has already given chairmanship of the APNU to Norton – another instruction from the new PNC Executive.

While the Dr Irfaan Ali-led Government has already indicated its willingness to meet and work with the new Opposition Leader, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall has expressed, however, that it might a while before the new Opposition Leader is appointed.

“We may be very far away from getting a leader of the Opposition. Because the leader of the Opposition, as you may know, is elected by the Opposition in the National Assembly. It is when the Opposition sits, they elect a leader from amongst themselves but you don’t have right now the full complement of the Opposition,” Nandlall said in this week’s edition of his weekly programme – Issues In The News.

APNU not being consulted by PNCR on vacant Parliament seats – Opposition MP

…says request for meeting ignored

Despite the importance of nominating someone to fill the vacant seats in the Opposition camp and it belonging to a coalition of parties, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is yet to meet with its coalition partners on choosing someone to fill the vacant Parliament seats.

This is according to Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, who heads the Guyana Nation Builders Movement (GNBM) party that joined the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition last year.

Reports in sections of the media indicate that as per a request made by Granger as Representative of the APNU/AFC List of Candidates, Norton met with AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan on Friday to discuss who to nominate to fill the vacant seats.

On her social media page, Sarabo-Halley took issue to persons who were framing the reported nominations of PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton and Volda Lawrence to the vacant Parliament seats, as an “APNU” decision. According to her, APNU has not been meeting regularly and thus could not have made any such decision.

“Let’s make something very clear… The APNU has not nominated anybody. This nonsense has to stop. If the PNC has made a decision, then the PNC has made a decision. The two vacant seats belong to the PNC and so they have a right to choose who they want to replace the two persons that resigned.”

“However, time and time again someone keeps putting out statements as though the APNU has met and made decisions. I have asked for meetings to discuss matters and have been met with silence,” Sarabo-Halley said.

According to her, APNU has not met since January 25, 2022, when the chairmanship of David Granger, as well as the General Secretary position, came to an end. At the time, both Granger and Joseph Harmon had stepped down from those respective positions – in the case of Granger, with immediate effect.

“So, I am not sure who has been sending out letters and making statements on behalf of the APNU,” Sarabo-Halley further said. Sarabo-Halley’s revelation of APNU not being consulted would be particularly surprising, since there are reports that Norton has consulted with the Alliance For Change (AFC), a party that does not belong within APNU, on the issue.

It has been reported that Norton and Lawrence, herself a former parliamentarian and Minister of Public Health under the Granger Administration, have been nominated to fill the vacant seats. These seats became vacant following the resignation of former Opposition Leader Harmon, who officially resigned as an APNU/AFC Member of Parliament since March 15, and former Education Minister under Granger’s coalition Government, Nicolette Henry, whose resignation took effect on March 31, 2022.

Norton and Ramjattan are now expected to write Granger, formally informing him of the meetings and the names which have been decided on, after which Granger is expected to write Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud – all part of the process of extracting those names from the list of candidates so they can be sworn in as MPs.

A statement on Friday had said that “The Representative of the List can take no further action until the APNU Chairman and AFC leader conduct their consultations and submit their nominations. He now awaits the names of the two candidates who will fill the vacant seats before informing the Chief Elections Officer”.

The PNCR, which is the leading party in the APNU/AFC coalition, has already insisted that Norton should be appointed as the new Opposition Leader. There has been no Opposition Leader in the National Assembly since Harmon resigned from the post on January 26 this year following mounting pressure from the new PNC Executive.

Harmon had contested for leadership of the PNC but lost to Norton who won by a landslide victory. Granger, who was the immediate past leader of the PNCR, did not contest for re-election. In fact, neither Harmon nor Granger was elected to the Central Executive Committee of the party – the highest decision-making body of the PNC.

The APNU/AFC Opposition accounts for 31 of the 32-seat parliamentary Opposition, while the joinder list comprising of A New and United Guyana (ANUG), the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and The New Movement (TNM) occupies the remaining seat. The governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) holds a one-seat majority in the 65-seat House, having won 33 seats.

While the Dr Irfaan Ali-led Government has already indicated its willingness to meet and work with the new Opposition Leader, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall has expressed, however, that it might be a while before the new Opposition Leader is appointed.

Speaker ready to fill Opposition vacancies by next sitting; PNC sends names to Granger for action

Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir on Monday said he is ready to have the two vacancies on the Opposition side of the House filled as early as the next sitting of the National Assembly.

But that will depend on how quickly the APNU+AFC Coalition submits those names to the Speaker.

“If the names reach me before the next sitting of Parliament those persons will be sworn in,” the Speaker said.

Nadir could not say on Monday when the next sitting of the National Assembly will be, but confirmed that he has written to former President David Granger as the Representative of the List, notifying him of the vacancies.

Granger has not yet responded and Nadir has made it clear that regardless of how long it takes, that is not his concern.

“I haven’t received back anything from the Representative of the List.”

“In terms of how long it takes or how short it takes, that’s not our business,” Nadir said while speaking to the News Room from his Chamber at Parliament Buildings, Brickdam, Georgetown.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir

Nicolette Henry resigned as an APNU+AFC Parliamentarian on February 03, 2022, but it took effect on March 31.

Meanwhile, Joseph Harmon first resigned as Opposition leader on January 26, 2022 under immense pressure to do so and later as a Member of Parliament with that resignation taking effect on March 15.

The News Room understands that with the two vacancies to be filled by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) – the largest party in the APNU+AFC Coalition – two names have already been sent to Granger as the persons to fill the vacancies.

A usually reliable source said the two persons are PNC/R Leader Aubrey Norton and longstanding member and former Health Minister Volda Lawrence.

With those names decided on by the PNC/R’s Central Executive Committee and sent to Granger, he is expected to submit those names to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Speaker Nadir said, “I have seen names proposed in the press, but I can’t work with the press.”

With the Speaker already notifying Granger of the vacancies, once he writes to GECOM, the electoral body is tasked with certifying that the recommendations are persons who can rightly be deemed elected officials and declare them in correspondence to the Leader of the List to be duly elected and can be sworn in.

The Representative of the List is expected to inform the Speaker of GECOM’s declaration after which the persons can be sworn in.

If Norton passes this stage, he is tipped to become the next Leader of the Opposition. Norton is not only Leader of the PNC/R, but he is also the Chairman of the APNU – a position he took up in February after Granger resigned.

The Speaker is also expected to convene a meeting of all Opposition MPs after the vacancies are filled at which time a new Opposition Leader will be selected.

“That can happen minutes after we conclude the sitting where the new MPs are sworn in,” Nadir assured.

Nadir says he now awaits correspondence from Granger.