Norton opts out of Parliament, to focus on rebuilding party

Leader of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Coalition, Aubrey Norton, will not be returning to the House when the new Parliament is convened.

The People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R)-led APNU suffered a historic defeat in the September 1, 2025 General and Regional Elections, failing to win a single electoral district. The party lost heavily in its traditional strongholds of Regions Four and Ten, as well as its position as the main opposition in Parliament.

Norton confirmed his parliamentary withdrawal to Ignite News today, citing his intention to focus instead on rebuilding the party.

“I told the party at a get-together yesterday that I am not going back, I am going to stay and rebuild the party,” the leader stated.

He added that the party has already made progress with its new list of parliamentarians and will soon announce the names of the new team to the public.

Political commentators have noted that among the 12 parliamentary seats won by the coalition, some likely returning faces may include front runner Ganesh Mahipaul, Prime Ministerial candidate Juretha Fernandes, and Nima Flu-Bess, among others.

Mahipaul did not confirm this when contacted but said the official list of persons selected by the leader will be made public on Friday. He also dismissed some circulating speculations, calling them inaccurate.

Meanwhile, We Invest In Nationhood (WIN), which secured 16 seats to become the majority opposition, is preparing for the National Assembly. Sources believe party leader Azruddin Mohamed will join Parliament, along with several experienced APNU parliamentarians who switched to WIN ahead of the 2025 polls.