AUBREY NORTON FIRES BACK AT JAGDEO OVER COMPETENCY CLAIMS AHEAD OF 2025 ELECTIONS
By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News
Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and presidential candidate for the Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Aubrey Norton, has responded sharply to recent criticisms made by PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo, who labeled opposition parties as “incompetent” and “inexperienced.”
In a statement to the media, Norton questioned Jagdeo’s credibility on the subject of leadership and experience, casting doubt on the former president’s background.
“I wonder where he got the experience from—he came from a bicycle,” Norton said. “Every president before—Burnham, Jagan, even Granger—came in without previous experience in government.”
While acknowledging that some opposition candidates are political newcomers, Norton argued that experience alone does not equate to effective governance. He pointed to Jagdeo’s track record as a cautionary tale.
“His experience didn’t serve him well. He failed and wasted money on the Skeldon Sugar Factory, failed on the fiber optic cable, and virtually every project he touched,” Norton said.
The PNCR leader continued by criticizing the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) for what he described as a legacy of mismanagement and selective justice.
“We’re dealing with a regime that is dictatorial and condones crime—if it’s their friends or allies involved,” Norton alleged.
He emphasized that experience should only be valued when it contributes positively to national development. In his view, the PPP government has delivered “the highest level of incompetence” and has been out of touch with the Guyanese people.
“This man has no right to speak about competence. He is incompetent. He addresses no issue thoroughly but sets out to attack people,” Norton concluded.
With the September 1, 2025, elections fast approaching, the verbal exchanges between the country’s two most significant political forces—PPP and APNU—are intensifying, highlighting the high stakes and heated rhetoric that are likely to define the campaign trail.