Volda Lawrence lone female in PNCR Leadership race

This coming week, the Peoples National Congress Reform (PNCR) will fine tune arrangements for its 17th Biennial Congress but all eyes and ears will be focused on Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition, David Granger, former Finance Minister Carl Greenidge and the lone female vying for leadership of the party Volda Lawrence.

David Granger

The PNCR will be hosting its Biennial Congress from July 26 to 29 at which point in time the election will be held for party leadership.

The two key men and the lone female were the ones given the nod of approval from the various party groups when nominations closed recently.

Robert Corbin currently still holds the post of Leader of the PNCR but he has already indicated an unwillingness to continue at the helm of the party.

While Lawrence has been nominated to contest for the post, the battle lines have already been drawn between Greenidge and Granger, both of whom had already competed for the post of presidential Candidate of the PNCR.

Granger won that race and this time around things have already begun to heat up, with Greenidge receiving strong support from PNCR big wigs such as Aubrey Norton.

Norton had served as a Member in the House in the 9th Parliament but did not make the cut among the APNU Parliamentarians despite playing a pivotal role in securing votes in Linden.

“Guyana is in a new political situation for which there is no blue print,” according to Corbin when he indicated that he would not be contesting this party election.

Volda Lawrence

Volda Lawrence is an Accountant by profession with an Accounting Degree from the University of Guyana and a Masters Degree from Gloucester University, England and is a Certified Chartered Accountant (ACCA Level II). Ms. Lawrence is currently employed by the American School in this capacity.

She also heads the Human Services and Welfare Department of the Party. She has done and continues to do sterling work among the Old and Elderly and families who have encountered misfortune.

Carl Greenidge

Carl B. Greenidge is a former Minister of Finance, Planning and Trade of Guyana. He is most closely associated with the design and management of the Economic Recovery Programme in the early 1990s following the crisis of the 1980s.

He is the only person to have headed the ACP Group of States at both the political and technical levels – President of the ACP Council of Ministers (and Co-President of the Joint ACP-EU Council) as well as Secretary General ad interim of the ACP Group.

Greenidge also headed the joint EU-ACP institution responsible for information communications technologies and capacity building in the rural sector (CTA).
Brigadier David Granger is a former Commander of the Guyana Defence Force and National Security Adviser to the President.

He was a member of several defense and security agencies, holding the Chairmanship of the Central Intelligence Committee, Co-Chairmanship of the Border and National Security Committee and membership of the Guyana Defence Board, National Drug Law Enforcement Committee and the Disciplined Forces Commission.

He is currently the Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition, having led the political alliance, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) during the most recent Regional and General elections.