The state of the opposition
Jun 18, 2025
Kaieteur News – At best, it could be said with some liberties taken that the two opposition parties are there, and no more. At worse, both the PNCR and the AFC are a shadow of themselves.
They project a sense of little to no substance, of two groups content to make up space, make a few sounds every now and then. They then make their way into the smog that now features so prominently in their existence. Their challenges that have come to light are not that many, but they are substantial. If this is the level of their differences, as ventilated in the open, then it stands to reason that there is so much more that weakens them internally.
The main opposition PNCR has been losing people in a steady trickle. They are not only from the rank-and-file membership, but even from within the heights of the party’s executive. This does not bode well for the PNCR as a group that should be held as a serious political contender in the September 1 elections.
The party does not inspire, the leadership is dull to the point of being unconvincing, and the membership is wondering who would be the next stalwart to jump ship and join hands with the ruling and dominant PPPC. In a nutshell, the PNCR ship looks more and more like a leaky boat, struggling to stay afloat, chart a clear path. When hopeful Guyanese look for a new dispensation, anything to provide a little inspiration for them, the best they get is the PNCR and the AFC pretending at strength and projecting nothing but weakness.
Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton does his best to exude grace under fire, but makes a mockery of where his party really is. ‘We remain strong’ and ‘we are confident.’ This is despite a stream of defections, with shaky (and greedy) insiders seemingly waiting for the opportune moment to part company with their political brothers and sisters. The PPPC has the money, and according to Vice President and General Secretary Jagdeo, no defectors have to answer for PNCR attempts at rigging. There are some who will see that as an added incentive to make their decision to move on from the PNCR. Against this background, and the odds that are against him and his party, Norton still pretends at strength and confidence.
In Guyana’s Golden Age of Oil, the opposition is all leaden leadership, and a support base that has lost faith. Guyanese who are disgusted with the PPPC Government, its unclean cast of principals, and its corrupt practices, resign themselves to that unhappiest emotional state. A country lacking a political opposition that offers some potency, the potential for constructive change. Instead of being trapped with the choice of the lesser of two evils, prospective voters are alarmed at being left to face one supreme evil in the PPPC. That’s not a choice; that is tantamount to committing suicide through marking an X on September 1 for the group that has already devastated Guyanese aspirations, sabotaged their will.
When an opposition is needed the most, it is lost, whether measured as one group or a coalition of two. While the PNCR continues with the sham of being a contender of merit, the AFC first lost its credibility, then its voice, and lastly its footing. There is this ugly public fight over a consensus candidate for the leadership spot. One side says that it is willing to relinquish a claim to the leadership mantle. The other says that it is open to listening, could even look favourably on what gives the best chance of victory over the PPPC on September 1. The leadership of both the PNCR and the AFC has indicated that they are willing to go to the polls alone. Whatever voter numbers they pretend to have, this is how they mislead their own respective bases, through bluff and soundbites that mean nothing. A prime example of this is AFC leader Nigel Hughes, who entered the political milieu with a bang and has since collapsed like a punctured balloon.
Guyanese voters are looking for their share of the national wealth. They are hoping to find a leader they can trust. They are rewarded with farces.
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