Aubrey Norton is the Man for This Hour

Apr 09, 2025 Letters

---

Dear Editor,

In politics, as in life, timing is everything. And in this critical hour of Guyana’s history—when our democracy is under siege, incompetence is putting our national interest at risk, and rampant corruption is rapidly eroding the financial security of the Guyanese people—we need a leader with integrity, guile, fortitude, honesty, and strength. That man is Aubrey C. Norton.

His service in politics has prepared him well for the intrigues of the presidency. This is not a role for someone learning on the job or those whose only appeal is that they are a “fresh face.” We must reject the dangerous notion that newness equals competence. To succeed in the office of the presidency demands a proven temperament, a history of level-headedness under pressure, and the kind of fortitude that doesn’t flinch at the first sign of pressure. We’ve seen it before—people folding under pressure, abandoning ship without adhering to established political and professional protocols or showing respect for the institutions they swore to uphold or represent. Aubrey Norton is not cut from that cloth.

When Norton was elected as PNCR Leader in 2021, the overwhelming public support sent a strong message. Yet, instead of rallying behind a democratically elected leader, a few disgruntled individuals—many from the periphery of the party—chose instead to malign and denigrate him. For four years, some known individuals conspired, not merely to see Norton fail, but to destroy the PNCR. Their hatred ran so deep that they preferred the continuation of PPP rule over Norton’s success. Hence, the emergence of the so-called “consensus candidate”—a placeholder whose primary qualification is simply that he or she is not Norton.

And now we have evidence of something even more calculated. There is an organised effort—spearheaded by known persons—who are actively contacting Facebook influencers and urging them to push the narrative that there must be a “consensus candidate.” This is not organic. It is a deliberate, well-coordinated strategy to create a false narrative—an artificial construct aimed at manipulating the public. These persons are not interested in the removal of the PPP as the primary objective; they are pursuing personal vendettas.

This is despite the fact that Norton towers over the rest of the field, both declared and undeclared. Norton’s stature is buoyed by his unimpeachable integrity. He is untainted by corruption. He is not obligated to any cartel, foreign or domestic, and no entity or individual can pull his strings. At this hour, Guyana needs a leader who cannot be bought, silenced, or swayed—and that leader is Aubrey Norton.

Dark clouds hang over Guyana today. The PPP government is not only incompetent but dangerously corrupt. Their focus is to enrich friends, family, and favorites—not the people of Guyana. Worse yet, there is growing evidence they are intent on rigging the upcoming elections. They must be stopped.

Their incompetence was exposed by none other than Bharrat Jagdeo, when he casually informed the nation that the government possesses trade data which could prove that the U.S.-imposed 38% tariff is too high. So the obvious question is—why wasn’t this data used to defend our national interest? Why the silence? Why the inaction? The answer is simple: incompetence.

And then there’s the corruption, fully exposed in the now infamous Mohammeds’ tax write-off scandal. The PPP government is attempting to seize luxury vehicles, alleging unpaid taxes. The Mohammeds maintain they paid what was due and alleged that senior PPP officials ordered the release of the vehicles—effectively waiving $900 million in taxes.

That’s not a clerical error. That’s a crime. It is abuse of public trust, it is malfeasance in office, and if it was quid pro quo for services rendered, it is theft. The PPP does not have the authority to give financial favours in exchange for services rendered to the party and deprive the Treasury, and by extension the Guyanese people, of revenue. According to Azruddin Mohamed, senior PPP officials contacted him with a grotesque quid pro quo: issue a public statement that he will not run for president, or the PPP will demand the payment of the $900 million in tax that was waived. This is textbook corruption. It is coercion, it is blackmail, and it is abuse of State power, and quite frankly, it should be investigated by the police. The use of public office in this manner for private political gain is a criminal act—plain and simple.

This is not governance; this is blatant political racketeering, more befitting a mafia crime family than a democratically elected government. This saga provides a window into the entrenched corrupt culture that has infected and consumed the PPP. We have clear evidence of the billions upon billions of dollars being channeled to PPP friends, family, and favourites. This saga further reveals the preferential treatment granted to the PPP’s inner circle. Imagine that—$900 million simply wiped away for a select few. The Guyana Revenue Authority must now disclose all tax write-offs granted by the PPP regime to their friends, family, and favourites. The people are entitled to full transparency.

In stark contrast, Aubrey Norton has consistently championed a policy of guaranteed direct cash transfers to every Guyanese from our oil revenue. He was mocked. He was jeered. But he was never fazed. While Jagdeo laughed and belittled the idea, saying Norton wanted to “eat out the Treasury”, he continued to speak directly to the people. It was only when the PPP realized the popularity of this policy that they copied it, but cynically labeled it a “cash grant” as if the money wasn’t already the people’s own. Norton was clear—it is a transfer, not a grant. He promised that under his government, it will be guaranteed by law.

We cannot afford to trust the PPP on this matter. Their past behavior suggests that, if re-elected, all payouts could be stopped. Only Norton offers a credible, legislated commitment to sustained, guaranteed payments. Aubrey Norton is also the only leader offering a comprehensive plan for national transformation. Norton speaks of “first-class living in a first-class country,” and it is not idle rhetoric. It is a vision grounded in real policy, real programmes, and real possibilities—so much so, the visionless Irfaan Ali and the PPP keep copying his programs. He promises executive-style leisure for working people, because he believes the Guyanese people deserve dignity and reward.

And perhaps most importantly, Norton has promised a post-racial Guyana. He is passionate about race relations and sees guaranteed equity as essential to healing the wounds of the past. Some criticize Norton for socializing with ordinary citizens, but these are the same critics who once condemned the coalition leadership for being aloof and inaccessible. Norton is different. He walks with the people, listens to the people, and will never turn his back on them once in office.

Others have criticized him for not organizing protests. They have misread him. He made it clear from day one—he would not turn the PNCR into a protest movement. Instead, he worked to reestablish connections with the party base that had become emotionally and spiritually detached. He chose rebuilding over rabble-rousing. And he was right. In doing so, he denied the PPP the opportunity to provoke street violence and then use race as an electoral strategy. Today, the PPP is in crisis and on the brink of being turfed out of office.

The present dynamic is the result of Norton’s effective strategy. In this defining hour, Guyana needs a leader of experience, integrity, and vision. Aubrey Norton is that leader. He is untainted. He is uncompromised. And he is unwavering in his belief in the potential of the Guyanese people. Now is the time to unite behind him. Now is the time to provide maximum support to a man whose only mission is to return power to the people.

Regards,
James McAllister

---

• Aubrey C. Norton, Bharrat Jagdeo, corruption, PPP, The Mohammeds

---