Roysdale Forde flags ‘irregularities’ in PNC nominations process

Roysdale Forde, an Executive Member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and a contender for party leader, has flagged irregularities in Monday’s nominations exercise.

The PNCR will host its 22nd Biennial Delegates Congress at the end of June and the party’s current leader, Aubrey Norton, picked up the most nominations on Monday. However, Forde and five others were nominated to challenge him for the position of leader.

In a media release, Forde and his team flagged some of the irregularites they observed and questioned whether the nominations process was “a prelude to a contrived attempt to bolster the perception of overwhelming support for Mr. Norton at the upcoming Congress.”

See below full release from Roysdale Forde:

Team Forde extends its gratitude to all party groups who have demonstrated their confidence in the vision to Regroup, Refocus & Rebuild the esteemed PNCR by nominating Mr. Forde for Party Leader. However, we find it imperative to express our discontent with the procedural irregularities leading up to nominations day, compounded by the objectionable conduct attributed to Mr. Sherwin Benjamin, purportedly serving as the administrator of the Congress Committee and acting as the Accreditation Officer on nominations day. 

It has come to the attention of Team Forde that numerous group chairs and Regional Chairpersons made nominations without proper authorization from the respective groups they represented. This transgression was so flagrant that Ms. Florence Bourne, the Chair of the North seats La Penitence Youth Group to which our candidate for leader, Hon. Roysdale Forde, SC, MP, belongs, cited tardy document submission as a pretext to circumvent the mandated process. This process, which necessitates convening all group members for a meeting to collectively nominate candidates for various positions, was disregarded with alarming impunity. The brazen flouting of rules within a group directly involving our candidate raises concerns about the integrity of the nomination process nationwide. 

Furthermore, it is disconcerting to note that Mr. Sherwin Benjamin, an overt supporter of Aubrey Norton’s leadership, and himself a nominee for a position, assumes a pivotal role as the head of the Accreditation Committee. Historically, this committee has upheld the principle of impartiality as paramount. Regrettably, the appointment of Mr. Benjamin to this crucial position signals a departure from this foundational principle. Despite the announcement of Mr. Mortimer Mingo as the Chair of the Accreditation Committee, he was not present during the nominations process. This glaring absence of “appointed” officials not only contravenes established protocol but also underscores a disregard for procedural adherence and the party’s constitution. Communication was initiated with both Mr. Mortimer and Mr. Alexander regarding their purported appointments to the Accreditation and Electoral Committees. Mr. Mortimer conveyed that he had not been approached by anyone regarding assuming the position of Chair of the Accreditation Committee at the forthcoming congress, additionally noting that he is out of the jurisdiction. On the other hand, Mr. Alexander clarified that he had not taken up any such position as Chair of the Electoral Committee.

In light of these irregularities, Team Forde perceives the entire nominations process as a prelude to a contrived attempt to bolster the perception of overwhelming support for Mr. Norton at the upcoming Congress. 

In conclusion, Team Forde reaffirms its commitment to upholding transparency, accountability, and adherence to established procedures within the PNCR. We remain steadfast in our resolve to ensure that the democratic principles upon which our party stands are upheld, and that the integrity of our internal processes is preserved.