Resigned PNC leaders not “heavyweights”, party will not lose votes – Norton

Though a number of senior leaders within the Peoples National Congress (PNC)-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) have resigned over varying issues, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton says these departures will not affect the party’s performance at the upcoming polls.

According to Norton, the persons who resigned are not “heavyweights” and in some cases, they lacked competence.

“None of them are heavyweights,” Norton said, noting that heavyweights are determined by the work you do and not the position you hold.

Among the recent resignations are Members of Parliament Jermaine Figueira and Amanza Walton-Desir.

Figueira was an executive member of the PNC, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), shadow Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, and the PNC’s chairman of Region Ten – one of the party’s strongholds.

But according to Norton, Figueira was just an ‘occupier of a seat’ and he lacked competence.

Last year, Norton removed Figueira from his position as shadow Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport and as Chairman for Region Ten.

Following his resignation, Figueira released a statement to the media explaining his reasons for leaving the party, citing issues such as the PNC’s lack of visionary leadership and its embrace of ethnic antagonism.

Norton said he is not worried that Figueira will pull votes from the PNC for Region Ten, despite the fact that the young politician has done a number of charity and community work in the villages there.

In fact, according to Norton, “Figueira was not doing the work and he was removed, both as chairman of the region and as shadow minister youth sport and culture, and this had to do with competence or lack of it.”

In the case of Walton-Desir, Norton said, “it is true that at a particular point, she was not on our press conferences, etc. and it is for a reason which I think is justifiable, but I do not want to be in the public domain saying what it is, unless she says something contrary.”

Natasha Singh-Lewis, another PNC parliamentarian, recently resigned from the party. Norton said her resignation was rooted in her friendship with the late Amna Ally, a former General Secretary, and there was nothing he could have done to prevent it.

Regarding the resignations of the Regional Chairman and Vice Chairman of Region Four, Daniel Seeram and Samuel Sandy, Norton said they were never working in the interest of the PNC.

Some other persons who have resigned from the PNC are Dr Richard Van-West Charles, Thandi McAllister, James Bond, and Geeta Chandan-Edmond.

But Norton insists that these resignations will not affect the party’s performance at the September 1 polls.

“None of the persons who have departed can carry with them the support from the APNU,” he said.