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People's National Congress Reform

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For the national legislature of the People's Republic of China, see National People's Congress.

People's National Congress Reform
AbbreviationPNC (1957-1997)
PNC/R (1997-2001)
PNCR (2001-present)
LeaderAubrey Norton[1]
ChairmanShurwayne Holder[1]
Founded1957
Split fromPeople's Progressive Party
United Democratic Party
HeadquartersCongress Place, Sophia, Georgetown, Guyana
Ideology
Historical:
Political positionCentre-left[citation needed] to left-wing[citation needed]
National Assembly
21 / 65
Party flag
Website
www.pncr.org

The People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) is a social-democratic and democratic socialist political party in Guyana led by Aubrey Norton.[3] The party currently holds 31 of the 65 seats in the National Assembly. In Guyana's ethnically divided political landscape, the PNCR is a multi-ethnic organization.[4]

It is the main component of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition with the Alliance for Change (AFC).

History

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The PNC was formed in 1957 by the faction of the People's Progressive Party (PPP) led by Forbes Burnham that had lost the general elections earlier in the year. In 1959 it absorbed the United Democratic Party. The PNC won 11 seats in the 1961 elections, which saw the PPP win a majority. In the 1964 elections the PNC won 22 of the 53 seats and despite receiving fewer votes than the PPP, it was able to form the government in coalition with the United Force,[5] with Burnham becoming prime minister. During the 1960s, the PNC was allied with Eusi Kwayana's Black Nationalist African Society for Cultural Relations with Independent Africa (ASCRIA), until the organization broke with the PNC in 1971 on government corruption issues, and reinvented itself as a multi-ethnic pro-democracy movement to later become the Working People's Alliance.[6]

The PNC remained in power following suspected fraudulent elections in 1968, 1973 and 1980. Desmond Hoyte became PNC leader and president following Burnham's death in 1985. The party won another fraudulent election in 1985,[7] but allowed free and fair elections to be held in 1992, in which they were defeated by the PPP/C. The PNC lost elections in 1997 and in 2001 as the PNC/R.[8][9] Following Hoyte's death in 2002 he was succeeded as party leader by Robert Corbin. The party went on to contest and lose the 2006 election as part of the PNCR-One Guyana (PNCR-1G) coalition. Prior to the 2011 election it formed the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) alliance with several smaller parties. Although the opposition APNU and AFC won more seats than the PPP/C, the leader of the largest party automatically became president, meaning PPP/C leader Donald Ramotar.[10]

The APNU formed a joint list with the AFC for the 2015 elections, known as the APNU+AFC, in which they defeated the PPP/C, winning 33 of the 65 seats. PNCR leader David A. Granger subsequently became president.[11] In March 2020, President David A. Granger narrowly lost the snap elections, following Granger's government loss of a vote of no confidence back in 2018. Granger refused to accept the results, but eventually five months later, Irfaan Ali of the People's Progressive Party/Civic was sworn in as the new president because of allegations of fraud and irregularities.[12]

Organisation

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Arms of the party

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The Guyana Youth and Student Movement is the youth arm of the party.

The National Congress of Women is the women’s arm of the party.

Biennial Congress

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The Biennial Congress (BC) is the sovereign body of the party, as it has been throughout the party’s history. Congress debates reports submitted by the Central Executive Committee and resolutions on contemporary issues.

General Council

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The General Council (GC) undertakes strategic oversight of the policy development between Congresses. This is chaired by the party chairman and is made up of member of the CEC, MPs, NCW, GYSM and Officers of regional party groups. The General Council meets each quarter.

Central Executive Committee

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The People’s National Congress Reform’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) is the governing body of the Party. The Party Leader, Chairman, Vice Chairman and fifteen (15) members of the Executive Committee are elected at the Biennial Congress. The General Secretary is appointed by the Leader, from among the fifteen elected members. Ten members are co-opted to the Central Executive by the Leader and other elected members. In addition each of the Party’s 10 Regions elects a representative to the Central Executive Committee, and the Chairpersons of the Youth and Women arms of their representatives are also Central Executive Committee Members.

Regional Party Organisation

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Party Committees are elected annually at the following levels.

  1. Regional
  2. Sub Regional
  3. District
  4. Neighbourhood
  5. Group

The basic unit of the party is the group, which consists of no less than twelve (12) members. The voice of the party membership on party policies is heard through their interaction at all of these levels, through the year and also at the Annual Conferences.

New Nation

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The New Nation is a weekly newspaper reflecting the views of the party, which is widely circulated locally and overseas.

Election results

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Election year Seats Position Government Head of Government
No. of seats won +/–
1957
3 / 14
 Increase 3 Increase2nd PPP-Jaganite Cheddi Jagan
1961
11 / 35
 Increase 7 Steady2nd PPP
1964
22 / 53
 Increase 11 Steady2nd PNC Forbes Burnham
1968
30 / 53
 Increase 8 Increase1st PNC
1973
37 / 53
 Increase 7 Steady1st PNC
1980
41 / 53
 Increase 4 Steady1st PNC
1985
42 / 53
 Increase 1 Steady1st PNC Desmond Hoyte
1992
23 / 53
 Decrease 19 Decrease2nd PPP/C Cheddi Jagan
1997
22 / 53
 Decrease 1 Steady2nd PPP/C Janet Jagan
2001
27 / 65
 Increase 5 Steady2nd PPP/C Bharrat Jagdeo
2006
22 / 65
 Decrease 8 Steady2nd PPP/C
2011
26 / 65
 Increase 4 Steady2nd PPP/C Minority Donald Ramotar
2015
33 / 65
 Increase 7 Increase1st APNU+AFC David A. Granger
2020
31 / 65
 Decrease 2 Decrease2nd PPP/C Irfaan Ali

References

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  1. ^ a b "Norton, new Leader of PNC/R". Kaieteur News Online. 20 December 2021. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  2. ^ Fairley, Bryant D.; Ramnarine, Devanand J. (April 1985). "'Populism' in Guyana and Newfoundland" (PDF). IDS Bulletin. 16 (2): 46–53. doi:10.1111/j.1759-5436.1985.mp16002008.x. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Norton, new Leader of PNC/R". Kaieteur News. 20 December 2021. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Guyana voters head to polls to choose new government". BBC News. 29 November 2011. Archived from the original on 2 December 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  5. ^ Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p 354 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
  6. ^ Hinds, David (2011). Ethno-politics and Power Sharing in Guyana: History and Discourse. Washington, D.C.: New Academia. pp. 12–13, 43. ISBN 978-0-9828061-0-4.
  7. ^ Nohlen, p355
  8. ^ Fraser, Peter D. (23 December 2002). "Desmond Hoyte". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  9. ^ knews (3 July 2011). "THE REBRANDING OF THE PNCR". Kaieteur News. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  10. ^ "Guyana governing party's Donald Ramotar wins presidency". BBC News. 1 December 2011.
  11. ^ "Ex-general David Granger wins Guyana election". BBC News. 15 May 2015.
  12. ^ "Guyana swears in Irfaan Ali as president after long stand-off". BBC News. 3 August 2020.
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