GUYANA | Norton and Lawerence to be new opposition MPs

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, April 2, 2022 - News Source Guyana is reporting that People’s National Congress Party Leader Aubrey Norton along with Former Chairman of the PNC  Volda Lawrence will be the replacements in the National Assembly for former Opposition Members of Parliament Joe Harmon and Nicolette Henry, APNU+AFC.

The decision followed internal discussions among the top brass of the People’s National Congress as well as with with AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan on the issue. PNC Leader Aubrey Norton, is also the Chairman of the APNU.

Its understood that there was a delay in finalizing the second person as there were efforts to attempt to convince longtime party member Carl Greenidge to take up the seat as Norton was expected to take up the position as leader of the PNC.

However, Mr Greenidge indicated that because of his current commitments to Guyana’s border case before the International Court of Justice, he would be unable to walk away from that and take up the seat in Parliament.

The PNC top brass agreed that Volda Lawrence who is an accountant by profession and previously served in the National Assembly would be the next best choice, since the party wanted someone with a strong financial background to take up the second seat.

News Source Guyana says Sources close to the APNU+AFC have indicated that the letter with the two names has already been written and will be signed by both the APNU and AFC leaders and dispatched to the Representative of the List early on Saturday.  The Representative of the List, former President David Granger  has indicated that once he receives the letter, he will send the request to the Elections Commission for the two names to be extracted from the coalition’s candidates list.

Former President Granger said that at 14:0hors on Wednesday 30th March, 2022 he received two letters from Speaker of the National Assembly, the Hon. Manzoor Nadir, which informed him formally, that as a result of the respective resignations of Lt. Col. (ret.) Joseph Harmon, MP, with effect from 15th March 2022 and Dr. Nicolette Henry, with effect from 31st March 2022, two vacant seats had arisen in the National Assembly.

Mr. Granger said he has followed and acted in accordance with the Constitution 0f Guyana and the Representation of the People Act which with regard to the “resignation and replacement of members to the National Assembly at all material times. “

Norton and Lawrence will be expected to take the oath of office at the next parliamentary sitting and just after the Parliamentary Opposition will meet to elect a new Opposition Leader.  

Mr. Norton is expected to take up that position.