GUYANA-Norton returned unopposed as leader of the main opposition party.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC—Aubrey Norton was re-elected unopposed as the leader of the main opposition, People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), and the party also selected him as its presidential candidate for the next elections in Guyana.

In addition, the PNCR membership approved a motion allowing Norton to choose another person as the party’s presidential candidate.

“Be it further resolved that the elected Party Leader is solely empowered to decide, if he or she so chooses, on other possible choices or arrangements for Presidential Candidate,” states the resolution.

According to the results released Monday following the PNCR’s 22nd Biennial Delegates Congress on Sunday, Norton was elected unopposed for the position as the other nominees all announced their withdrawal from the race.

The party’s election returner, Vincent Alexander, said that Norton had secured 98 percent of the votes cast by delegates for the position of party leader.

Alexander said that Shurwayne Holder had been returned as party chairman with a landslide victory over the other competitors for the position. Elizabeth Niles and Viceroy Jordan have been voted back as Co-Vice Chairpersons. Economic Adviser to the party Elson Lowe has been elected Treasurer of the PNC Reform.

The PNCR said on Monday that 1,300 delegates representing 218 groups were accredited, coming from Guyana’s ten administrative regions, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Alexander said that of the 1,066 votes cast, Norton secured 1,040 votes.

The June 28-30 Congress was held under the theme “Forming the next government: building a just, inclusive, and prosperous society for All.”

The PNCR said that Norton, in his presentation, described the party’s people’s centered vision as a contract with Guyana that “puts people first and will utilize the resources of Guyana to achieve the ultimate goal of providing a high quality of life to the people of Guyana through the direct and indirect transfer of resources to our people, to educate them, support their mobilization of resources to work…”