Former People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) youth leader and parliamentarian Jermaine Figueira has endorsed President Dr Irfaan Ali for a second term in office, saying he will be actively involved in the re-election campaign.
Making the announcement in an interview on the podcast Starting Point, Figueira said, “My endorsement of him goes beyond rhetoric.”
The one-time PNCR youth leader, who emerged under the David Granger coalition administration, defended his decision by acknowledging that no leader in Guyana has been without fault, and that President Ali is no exception. However, he said the president’s achievements far outstrip his missteps.
Figueira recently resigned from the PNCR as a party member and Member of Parliament. In a letter earlier this month explaining his resignation, Figueira cited what he described as a deep erosion of the party’s ideals of national unity, a decline in ethics and honour, the absence of visionary leadership, and a failure to uphold national duty.
He criticised the party’s recent direction, stating: “The leadership of the PNCR has, in recent times, exhibited a troubling tolerance for rising ethnic antagonism. In its alignment with elements espousing divisive ethno-political rhetoric, which corrodes the pluralistic foundation of our society, the party has deviated from the tenets of inclusive nationalism.”
“What was once a platform for unifying vision now flirts perilously with sectarian dogma. This is not the movement I joined. The responsibility to defend and promote national unity is absolute; its abdication is a moral failure,” he added.
In contrast, Figueira praised President Ali’s approach to governance, describing him as genuine in words and actions to unite Guyana, and said the president’s leadership is inclusive and rooted in national interest.
