Two political parties that formed an alliance (coalition) for the 2015 and 2020 general elections hold separate national conventions (Congress) and internal executive elections (including leader) this weekend. The PNC (the dominant constituent of APNU) holds its Congress from Friday June 28 thru Sunday June 30. The AFC holds a one-day convention. Both parties will choose their executives and (leader) through a delegate system – delegates chosen by groups from all over the country. The ruling PPP held its Congress last May also using the delegate system selecting a 35 members Central Committee. The Central Committee then meets and elects the leader (General Secretary) and a smaller Executive Committee of 15 members to manage the affairs of the party.
Comments were made questioning the democratic nature of the PNC Congress. One of its members has filed a court petition on June 26 seeking an injunction to stop the Congress because of unanswered questions about the fairness of the system. Incumbent leader Aubrey Norton goes into the election as the front runner. He enjoys the advantages of incumbency. Challengers contend they have been marginalized and that the process of selecting delegates is contaminated and tainted; his challengers Amanza Walton-Desir and Roysdale Forde, citing a lack of transparency, have pulled out of the contest. Both are very popular among the party’s members. However, the delegate process is stacked against them. Based on random sampling of supporters of the PNC and delegates, it is noted that Norton has support among the delegates but has no cross-over appeal among floating voters and other voters who don’t traditionally support the PNC. In order to win a general election or increase the party’s support, cross over racial appeal is critical.
Over at the AFC, two candidates are vying for leader position – Sherrod Duncan (who has been serving as General Secretary since 2022) and prominent attorney Nigel Hughes who once held the Chairmanship position before giving it up. Based on random sampling, Duncan has not drawn much national support and has no appeal among floating voters and Indians whose support is necessary if the AFC is to re-attract the sizeable following it had between 2006 and 2020. Nigel Hughes, on the other hand, has significant national appeal and following among floating, unaligned voters and discontented Indians. Voters cheer his re-entry into politics and laud his candidacy for leadership of AFC. He has very high positive favorability and likeability ratings among voters of all ethnicities.
Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram
