While admitting that the recent defection of additional members of the People’s National Congress to the People’s Progressive Party could have an impact on the party, longtime PNCR Member and Parliamentarian, Ganesh Mahipaul said the defections will not hamper the PNCR’s work.

Earlier this week, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, met with a number of current APNU Councilors and former APNU+AFC Members of Parliament, who he said have now expressed a decision to work with the PPP. Former Chairman of the People’s National Congress, Shurwayne Holder, was among the group of former PNCR Members who met with the PPP General Secretary.

At a Congress Place press conference this morning, MP Mahipaul said while defections in local politics is not a new phenomenon, the presence of the internet and social media has highlighted the issue more.

He said the PNC will be affected, but its work will not be hampered by the latest defections.

“If I am to tell you that the party will not be affected, then I will be wrong because I do believe that no party wants any defection. But in terms of hampering our work, then no, it is not hampering our work. I always tell people that in political parties, and perhaps the PPP will agree with me on this one, in political parties you have your tried and tested members who are well au fait with how they are approaching and with how they are handling political situations and how they intend to move forward. None of the defects there were really tried and tested APNU members, so they are not exposed to any of our internal decisions, they are not exposed to any of our how we are moving forward, our strategy and those kinds of things”, Mahipaul said.

The Opposition Member reminded that the PNC has suffered from defections over the years, but has still remained strong. However, the recent spate in defections over the past year has resulted in calls by some party members for the current party leadership to be removed. The party’s poor showing at the last elections as part of the APNU coalition, has also triggered calls for party leader, Aubrey Norton to step down from power and make way for new leadership.

“The APNU since the 2025 elections has begun to do several things to improve its presence in society and to also ensure that we stay relevant to society. We have several other things that we are looking at, which I will not speak about here. But we have 397 of new members who came into the APNU and this all happened after our extended outreaches and engagements. So we are in a recruitment process and I say we are doing quite well”, he said.

Mahipaul said the party has taken account of the defections, but said its work will continue as it also prepares for Local Government elections.

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