Georgetown, Guyana – September 22, 2025 – The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is in the throes of its deepest crisis in decades, as sharp internal divisions, mass resignations, and mounting pressure on leader Aubrey Norton raise fresh questions about the party’s future. What began as an electoral defeat has now spiraled into a struggle for survival, with insiders torn between loyalty, frustration, and demands for sweeping change.
Party executive Ganesh Mahipaul acknowledged that bitter infighting was as damaging as financial constraints in the lead-up to the September 1 elections. Social media battles erupted among members openly challenging Norton’s leadership, leaving the party fractured at a critical moment. “If you are not accepting the membership’s choice, then you are not really embracing democracy,” Mahipaul argued, pinning disunity as a central reason for the loss.
Despite growing calls for Norton to resign after overseeing the worst electoral defeat in the PNCR’s 70-year history, Mahipaul has thrown his support behind the embattled leader. “A captain doesn’t just jump off his ship,” he said, adding that Norton must stay on until the next party Congress in July 2026 to steer the transition.
Other loyalists echoed that position. Candidate Ronald Daniels urged discipline and cautioned members to keep disagreements within party walls or step aside quietly. He praised Norton for giving way to “fresh blood” in Parliament, while Attorney-at-Law Eden Corbin reminded supporters that leadership opportunities exist beyond the National Assembly.
Still, the exodus of senior figures has dealt repeated blows. Chairman Shurwayne Holder and longtime member Mervyn Williams resigned after the elections, joining a growing list of prominent defections that includes Natasha Singh-Lewis, Dawn Hastings-Williams, Amanza Walton-Desir, Daniel Seeram, and Samuel Sandy, several of whom crossed over to rival parties before the polls.
More recently, Treasurer Elson Lowe and former Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Naraine have also criticized the PNCR publicly, intensifying the perception of a party in freefall.
Visibly frustrated, Mahipaul blasted members who air grievances on platforms aligned with the PPP/C. “The question has to be asked: are you really for rebuilding and strengthening this party, or are you one of those who wants to destroy it?” he challenged.
With its leadership under fire, finances depleted, and membership base splintering, the PNCR is now facing what could be its toughest battle yet, proving that it can survive as a united force.
