Guyana: Aubrey Norton elected APNU Chairman as Granger steps down
Mr Norton’s election comes one day after the Former Leader of the PNC/R signaled his intention to step down since he is no longer the Leader of the PNC/R.
Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform, Aubrey Norton was today elected Chairman of the five-party A partnership for National Unity (APNU) after receiving the full support of the parties that made up the grouping, party sources have confirmed.
Mr Norton’s election comes one day after the Former Leader of the PNC/R signaled his intention to step down since he is no longer the Leader of the PNC/R.
Mr Granger met today with Mr Norton, who represented the PNC/R and the other parties where he formally demitted office as the APNU.
The APNU was formed in 2011 to contest the General elections that year— a grouping that later joined forces with the Alliance For Change to unseat the PPP from office in 2015.
As it relates to the Representative of the List position, News Source understands that Mr Granger will continue to hold on to that position since the Constitution is silent on the possibility of a list representative being replaced after an election.
The updated Cummingsburg Accord, which gave birth to the APNU+AFC Coalition, dictates that the Presidential Candidate is the list leader. In contrast, the Prime Ministerial Candidate holds the position of Deputy list leader.
With Norton taking over as APNU Chairman, he will be moving to appoint a new General Secretary as Opposition Leader Joe Harmon, the current General Secretary of the APNU, has indicated that he will also be stepping down from that position.
The People’s National Congress is the largest party in the APNU+AFC coalition. The party has indicated that it wants its new Leader to be given a seat in Parliament and take over as Opposition Leader.
Mr Norton and Mr Harmon have been meeting on that issue, and both have been very tight-lipped on the talks.
Harmon, a member of the PNC, has been holding on to the position. Still, with his poor showing at the party’s leadership race, he has called to step down from the post and allow Norton to take over as Opposition Leader in the National Assembly.
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