GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — In a fiery press conference on Friday, APNU Presidential Candidate Aubrey Norton ripped into the flashy Nomination Day showing by Azruddin Mohamed’s newly launched party, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), declaring the crowd was more interested in cash than casting votes.
Norton didn’t mince words. “I don’t know they had any voting on Nomination Day,” he said. “From the evidence that is available, a lot of people went there for the money.” His blunt statement has thrown fuel on an already tense political season, sparking new questions about what, or who, is really pulling the crowds.
The businessman-turned-political-hopeful, Mohamed, made a high-profile entrance into the electoral arena this week with a glitzy street parade and supporters decked out in WIN-branded gear. But Norton is convinced the turnout was all for show.
He pointed to the last Local Government Elections, reminding the public that despite the PPP/C appearing to gain momentum in traditional APNU strongholds, voters flipped the script when it mattered most. “They collected their money and then voted APNU,” he said confidently.
“We think the same will happen again.”But Norton wasn’t the only one throwing jabs. APNU’s Vice Presidential Candidate Ganesh Mahipaul came armed with numbers and warnings. After analyzing WIN’s list of candidates, Mahipaul claimed that 72% of them are from areas that normally back the PPP. “So we’re not worried about him,” he said dismissively.
Still, Mahipaul cautioned the public against being fooled by new political outfits that present themselves as independent voices. “Virtually every one of them,” he said, “ends up in bed with the PPP.” He listed Manzoor Nadir, Dr. Asha Kissoon, and Lennox Shuman as former independents who later aligned with the ruling party.
And then came the personal blow. “Mohamed and Irfaan Ali were best friends. They shared a good relationship,” Mahipaul alleged, hinting that WIN may be nothing more than a proxy for the PPP/C.
With elections just weeks away, APNU is making it clear: they’re not impressed by loud entrances, big money, or flash. Their message to voters is simple, don’t be fooled by the parade, and don’t sell your vote.
The verbal shots fired Friday have only heightened what’s already shaping up to be one of the most explosive election seasons in recent memory. All eyes are now on Mohamed and WIN to see how they’ll respond, and whether the crowds will stick around once the music stops.
