Break-away PNC group seeks partnership for 2011 elections

-Winston Murray at the helm

The break-away faction from the PNC that includes Winston Murray, Van West Charles, Aubrey Norton and Aubrey Armstrong has initiated a process aimed at creating a broad Partnership to contest next year’s general elections.

It released to selective media houses a document containing the draft of a protocol and six principles which are intended to stimulate vigorous discussions prior to formalizing a Partnership for the 2011 polls.

Winston Murray said that an announcement would be made shortly of how interested members of the public and the diaspora can share their opinions on this initiative.

One of the proposed principles would see a list of presidential candidates being drawn up and the Preparatory Committee considering the conduct of a professional opinion poll as one way of obtaining views on who is best suited to be Head of State.

The group, describing themselves as ordinary citizens who wish to help in making Guyana a better place for all, said the document proposes the setting up of a Preparatory Committee. “Membership of this Committee should reflect differences of race, ethnicity and gender” and include not more than 30 persons with no more than three persons representing each political party. Taking account of religious, cultural and skills-based concerns it is proposed that the Committee should contain no more than three persons representing each of the following interests: youth, business, advocacy, trade unions and civil society.

It is further proposed that at its inaugural meeting the Committee should examine and approve an agenda, elect a chairperson from its membership, create mechanisms and procedures for its work and consider adoption of the protocol.