GEORGETOWN, Guyana — After one of the most crushing defeats in its history, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is facing open criticism from within its own ranks. Party treasurer and executive member Elson Low says the loss was predictable, and that he had been warning colleagues for months.
Appearing on the Freddie Kissoon Show, Low said he had long been troubled by the party’s direction but kept his concerns quiet out of loyalty. “I have been distressed for several months… Now out of respect for the efforts of my comrades, out of respect for my party you keep those internally, you keep those things quiet,” he explained.
The September 1 General and Regional Elections delivered a landslide to the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), which secured 242,498 votes and took eight of Guyana’s 10 administrative regions, including Region Four and Region Ten, once considered PNCR strongholds.
The opposition coalition, however, collapsed at the polls. APNU placed third with 77,998 votes, trailing even the new political movement We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), which stunned observers by winning 109,066 votes and capturing two regions. “Was I surprised by the result? Not really,” Low admitted.
For Low, the defeat reflects deeper problems. He accused the party leadership of clinging to outdated methods and mistaking command for vision. “Leadership to me is not just a leader telling people what to do. Leadership is about creating an environment for success,” he said, adding that the current approach has “compounded mistakes.”
He pointed to the chaotic process of selecting parliamentary candidates as an example of poor planning. “You didn’t see a formal structured process… That is a contributing factor to some of these resignations,” he noted.
Low said he had shared data and analysis with the party’s leadership before the elections but felt his input was ignored. Looking back, he admitted his biggest regret was holding back: “I should have pressed harder for a different definition of leadership… If I have one regret it is that I wasn’t more aggressive.”
The fallout has already begun. Executive members Mervyn Williams and Shurwayne Holder have resigned since the loss, signaling a turbulent road ahead for the country’s largest opposition party.
