Dear Editor,
THE resignation of former Member of Parliament and legal professional, Geeta Chandan-Edmond from the People’s National Congress (PNC) marked more than just the departure of a single figure; it signaled the beginning of the unraveling of a once-formidable political institution.
Her exit was not an isolated act. It triggered what has since become a domino effect, exposing deep fractures within a party that has stood at the centre of Guyana’s political landscape since 1955.
Chandan-Edmond’s principled decision emboldened others who had long been sidelined or disillusioned.
Her resignation was quickly followed by others, including Amanza Walton-Desir and several well-known members who migrated to the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party.
Their actions reflected what many had been whispering for years: The PNC has lost its way.
This development is not simply about high-profile names departing; it symbolises the collapse of confidence in the party’s leadership under Aubrey Norton, and the erosion of unity that once gave the PNC its strength. Norton’s inability to hold his team together, compounded by his public spats with veteran members like Amna Ally, only worsened the internal discontent.
Longstanding complaints of being sidelined grew louder, eventually culminating in an exodus that has left the party hollow.
Geeta Chandan-Edmond’s resignation as General Secretary and her subsequent endorsement of President Dr. Irfaan Ali highlighted the reality that loyalty to country must take precedence over loyalty to a party in disarray.
Her call for dialogue and unity in the national interest resonated far beyond the walls of Congress Place. It inspired others to act; to recognise that partisan loyalty means little when the party has failed to evolve or present a coherent vision for Guyana’s future.
The impact of these resignations became glaringly evident in the September 1, 2025 General and Regional Elections.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) dominated the polls with 61.4 per cent of the vote, while the rookie WIN party—benefiting from disaffected PNC supporters—secured an impressive 26.1 per cent. APNU, once the standard bearer of opposition politics, plummeted to an embarrassing 11 per cent.
This collapse was not merely the result of PPP’s electoral machinery but reflected the PNC’s failure to retain its traditional voter base, especially in Georgetown and Region Four. As one former strategist admitted, “The youth are 100 per cent behind the PPP. Region Four? That’s gone red.” He noted that if APNU even managed 70,000 votes in Region 4, “they’ve done well”, a dramatic fall from previous cycles where support soared above 100,000.
It is both melancholic and deeply disconcerting to witness the disintegration of a party that has been part of Guyana’s political fabric for seventy years.
This decline is not owed to external enemies but to internal failures of leadership, vision, and accountability.
Geeta Chandan-Edmond’s resignation may well be remembered as the tipping point; the moment that laid bare the PNC’s inability to reinvent itself and remain relevant.
For all those who left, whether for WIN, independence, or simply to stand on principle, their actions have underscored a sobering truth: A party that fails to adapt, listen, and unify is destined to collapse under the weight of its own shortcomings.