Far from the prize!
Kaieteur News – After a person associated with the Workers’ Alliance (WPA) was caught with a fake underwear suitcase, including a telescopic rifle, at Timehri International Airport and later convicted and imprisoned for the crime , concerns were raised about the weapon’s intent. At the time, the conversation in the street was that the weapon could have been imported to be used to target Burnham.
If Burnham’s security were on the precipice then, they would then be on search missions. The President’s security became paranoid. Burnham canceled a community visit to Agricola after being told the main entrance and exit were the same way. After the incident with the man with the telescopic rifle, whenever Burnham was speaking in Revolution Square, security guards were always on top of the Takuba Lodge building that housed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Burnham was scared in hell but tried to publicly dismiss the threat by saying, “My shooting is a waste; where else Rasta by tek meh. ”
Burnham eventually surrendered in 1985 to heart problems. He had a long-standing heart condition and acted during neck surgery. He is believed to have suffered a heart attack during the surgery and died.
No one of similar ideological disposition took his place. The person who took over promised to follow in his footsteps but changed course. The PNC could not find another Burnham to replace the Founder Leader.
It is easy to elect an individual to be the leader of the PNC / R. The PNC / R elected Hoyte after Burnham’s death (for a short time Dr. Reid was a leader). After Hoyte’s death, they elected Robert Corbin. And after Corbin’s defeat in the 2006 General and Regional elections, the PNC / R elected David Granger.
Currently, several names are being thrown into the mix for the post of PNC / R leader if and when the next Congress of the party is held. And the conversation is about finding a new leader in the party.
However, if the PNC / R is to regain any credibility, it cannot find any leader. The party needs to be redone, authentic redone. Simply changing the conductor is not going to allow for such a process. What the party needs is a new crop of leaders to restore legitimacy and credibility to the party.
The PNC / R must face reality. Because of the shenanigans, which he participated in after March 2nd, he has given Irfaan Ali a third term. It is almost certain that the current President will be virtual in the next 2025 elections.
Guyanese people would have serious doubts about trusting the PNC / R to accept the democratic will of the people. PNC / R’s actions after the polls closed on March 2nd last year have left a bitter taste in the Guyanese mouths of democratic thought. The party seemed bent on winning the elections by hook or stick. He ridiculed himself locally and internationally by claiming he had won the elections and then later claiming he had been cheated.
The PNC / R is facing a credibility crisis. He is now widely regarded in Guyana and outside Guyana as having no democratic bone. However, if the PNC / R hopes to regain power, it can only do so through a democratic process.
However, not all those who were involved in the plot to rig the 2020 elections can be trusted to lead the PNC / R. As such, there has to be new leadership. Anyone associated with the party’s shenanigans, from March to August last year, cannot be part of the party remake.
So it’s not a case of finding a new leader. It’s not about finding a new leader as much as it is about finding a new slate, which can be distanced from the 2020 shenanigans. It’s a case of sweeping everyone who was corrupted by the 2020 elections The party has started afresh with a new slate of leaders who are clearly committed to democratic politics.
There needs to be a new cohort of leaders within the PNC / R. This group will have to show that they are truly committed to respecting democracy. And not only will this group have to be able to gain control of the party leadership, but it will have to present itself to the public as representing change by distanced from those who brought shame and a disgrace to the country.
Unfortunately, there is no such group, which is likely to emerge in the PNC / R. Therefore, David Granger will take over the responsibility of rebuilding and preparing the party for a long stay in the Opposition.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.)