AFC firm on intent to leave Coalition by year-end
AFC firm on intent to leave Coalition by year-end
Kaieteur News – The Alliance For Change (AFC) is firm on its intent to part ways with the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) come year end.
Leader of the party, Khemraj Ramjattan yesterday during a Press Conference provided an update, explaining that a number of differences between the two parties have led to its decision.
AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan
For one, Ramjattan explained that the two sides had a fallout over the Vice Chair position for Region Four. Nevertheless, he said, “We have had other problems as you would have within Parties…but we have had our problems and I don’t want to make all the problems public.”
Meanwhile, Vice Chair of the political group, Catherine Hughes pointed out that the AFC has been trying to resolve these matters continuously. In fact, only about three months ago, she noted that the two sides met where the issues were again put on the table.
While the party is resolute in its decision to part ways with the second largest political party, it is yet to formally communicate this with the Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton. Nonetheless, he urged, “The Opposition Leader had known of our decision a while ago. It was made very public.” Ramjattan said he would communicate formally with Norton at the appropriate time.
In the meantime, the AFC said it will continue to have a cordial working relationship with the APNU since it shares the same views on certain matters, such as the need for a clean Voters List. Ramjattan was keen to note that while they APNU and AFC will work together on several matters, the two will similarly air its independent views.
On the other hand, the AFC Leader noted that its nine Members of Parliament will remain serving and will unite in Parliament with the APNU against the PPP.
Hughes was keen to note, “The Cummingsburg Accord was really an agreement designed to put on paper and contractually outline our agreement as a Coalition going in to Government. It was never really designed for an agreement out of Government.”
She added that the AFC has always been an independent party and it feels very strongly about going back to its roots. “We are going back to highlighting who we are and what we stand for, and sometimes it is the things that don’t necessarily bring you lots of applause but in terms of long term it is necessary for building a country that can move forward,” she noted.
When it comes to the AFC’s non-participation in the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGEs), pegged for March 2023, Ramjattan said this decision was an independent one that was not motivated by the APNU. He said the party believes the list is not clean, consisting of about 200,000 names that should not be there.
Additionally he said, “We had also asked for biometrics and we have now learnt that the PPP is not going allow any biometric equipment to ensure that the place of poll for that local government election, to prevent anyone from trying to impersonate and all of that.”
Ramjattan said he does not believe his party’s non-participation in the LGE will affect the support at the General Elections come 2025.
In July, at the AFC’s first Press Conference following its internal elections in June, the party indicated it will be parting ways with the Coalition.
Hughes told members of the media that the decision to walk away from the Coalition was taken at the National Conference, where the 200 members decided that upon the expiry of the current agreement, a renewal will not be facilitated to bind the parties.
Instead, she said the AFC will focus on rebuilding and walking on its own feet.
In making the announcement she also explained that the party has already discussed reaching out to the smaller parties that contended in the 2020 elections, as well as the Trade Unions.
When it comes to partnering with the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) however, the AFC Leader said it is simply a ‘nonstarter’ unless the incumbent administration mends its ‘corrupt’ ways and, in particular, commence a structured distribution of the accumulated wealth from oil earnings.
