Former advisor to Granger says PPP/C best option to lead Guyana

Political veteran and former advisor to the David Granger administration, Fredrick McWilfred, has dubbed the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) the best option to lead Guyana into continued success and development.

McWilfred made a special appearance on the television broadcast Political Insights on Monday and offered his personal assessment of the current political landscape, drawing on his more than five decades of activism in local politics.

McWilfred, whose political career commenced and concluded with the People’s National Congress (PNC), offered that, of the presidential hopefuls vying in the 2025 elections, incumbent leader Dr Irfaan Ali is the most viable candidate.

He said that the people of Guyana have to choose between three presidential candidates: Irfaan Ali, Aubrey Norton and Azruddin Mohamed. Speaking on Mohamed’s ‘We Invest in Nationhood’ party, McWilfred suggested that had the Mohameds not been sanctioned they would not have formed a political party but remained with the PPP. “So they’re political activism is in direct defense of their business and themselves,” the veteran claimed.

In the PNC, McWilfred continued, Norton becoming leader was the worst thing to happen to the party. He accused Norton of sidelining the more experienced members and removing them from leadership roles.

“Aubrey has sidelined most of the experienced people (they) are not in the leadership of the party,” McWilfred related. He said that when Norton won the leadership of the PNC, he had to organise a leadership course for his executives. “They did not even know how to conduct a meeting, and he sidelined people like Volda Lawrence, like Gary Best, Eddy Collins, Winston Felix… all these people were cast aside and he put these youngsters to run the party of Forbes Burnham. That’s why they are in the mess that they are in,” he opined.

McWilfred suggested also that many of the PNC members who joined the WIN party did not do so out of conviction but because they were cast aside by Norton’s leadership. He said these persons needed a “political home” and opted for the WIN party for fear of public backlash had they joined the PPP.

Given the circumstances, McWilfred reiterated that the only viable presidential candidate is Irfaan Ali, who is fortunate to have the experienced Vice President and former President Bharrat Jagdeo as his advisor.