GUYANA | Norton Leadership Demands Threaten Opposition Alliance Ahead of 2025 Elections

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, January 26, 2025 - Long-simmering tensions between Guyana's opposition forces have erupted into open warfare.

People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) Leader Aubrey Norton's iron-fisted grip on his party's presidential ambitions threatens to shatter hopes for a united opposition front ahead of the 2025 general elections.

The clash, which many political observers saw as inevitable, pits Norton's unshakeable conviction that he must lead any future coalition against the Alliance For Change's (AFC) increasingly vocal resistance to what they view as political strong-arming by the larger party.

In a series of defiant statements that have only widened the growing chasm between the two parties, Norton, who also chairs A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), has doubled down on his position that the presidential candidacy is his by right.

"I will be the presidential candidate as determined by the PNC," he declared recently, dismissing concerns about his stance as "not useful" at this stage.

But AFC Leader Nigel Hughes has thrown down the gauntlet, delivering an unequivocal "Absolutely not" when questioned about Norton's presumptive candidacy.

Hughes insists that only a transparent, objective process — including polling data — should determine the opposition's standard-bearer, rather than what his party sees as an antiquated automatic nomination based on party size.

The widening rift underscores the opposition's struggle to rebuild after the seismic shifts that followed the 2020 elections.

In the aftermath of the People's Progressive Party/Civic's (PPP/C) return to power, the AFC chose to chart its own course, letting its coalition agreement with APNU expire on December 31, 2022.

While the two parties maintain a working relationship in parliament, their once-united front has given way to an increasingly fractious partnership.

At the heart of the impasse lies a fundamental disagreement over power-sharing.

The AFC, while not closing the door on future collaboration with APNU, has drawn a line in the sand: any alliance must be built on principles of fairness and inclusivity, rather than what they view as PNCR's outdated assumption of automatic leadership rights.

Critics within the AFC argue that such a "top-down" approach could prove fatal to the opposition's chances of mounting a serious challenge to the ruling party.

Political analysts have been quick to point out Norton's limitations as a potential standard-bearer. His leadership style, they argue, has failed to resonate beyond the PNCR's traditional base, and his controversial tenure has at times alienated even those within his own ranks.

Some political commentators go further, arguing that Norton's path to his current position – allegedly through careful manipulation of the last party convention – has effectively kneecapped the PNCR's electoral prospects.

His iron grip on power, they note, has systematically sidelined more broadly appealing figures within the party.

These include the politically astute Roysdale Forde, who enjoys considerable support among swing voters, and the eloquent Amanza Walton-Desir, both of whom could potentially bridge the demographic divides that have historically challenged the party.

The question increasingly being asked in political circles is whether Norton's unwavering stance on the presidential candidacy might ultimately prove to be the coalition's undoing.

Despite these deepening fissures, both parties continue to engage in discussions under a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). But with a critical March 31 deadline looming for finalizing any potential alliance, time is running out for bridging what appears to be an increasingly unbridgeable divide.

The stakes couldn't be higher for Guyana's opposition forces. Should Norton's unyielding position collide fatally with the AFC's demands for a more democratic selection process, both parties face the prospect of contesting the 2025 elections separately – a scenario that could effectively hand victory to the PPP/C before a single vote is cast.

As the clock ticks down, the opposition's future hangs precariously in the balance. The coming weeks will determine whether pragmatism can triumph over pride, or whether personal ambition will fracture the opposition's chances of presenting a united front to the electorate.

For now, Norton's firm stance and the AFC's equally resolute opposition have set the stage for what could be the opposition's defining moment – or its ultimate unraveling.

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