APNU+AFC says “united and strong” after joint leaders’ meeting

Last Updated on Thursday, 15 November 2018, 22:59 by Denis Chabrol

The governing coalition of A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) says its remains “united and strong”.

“The leaders of the two parties jointly reaffirm that the Coalition remains united and strong,” they said in a statement.

The assurance followed a meeting by leaders of the two political organisations, hours after Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo filed a no-confidence motion with the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs.

No mention was made of the no-confidence motion  in the APNU+AFC statement. However, the coalition partners said their leadership met Thursday evening  “to discuss a number of matters.”

Jagdeo has said he filed the no-confidence motion because of alleged mismanagement, alleged corruption and failed promises by the three-year old coalition-led administration.

Present at the meeting were Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Vice Presidents Carl Greenidge and Khemraj Ramjattan, People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Chairperson and Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence, PNCR General Secretary and Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally, APNU executive member and Minister of State Joseph Harmon and AFC executive member and Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson.

Further the leadership said they celebrated the triumph of democracy in the efficient and successful holding of Local Government Elections, the second under the Coalition Government since it came to office in 2015.

The leadership congratulates GECOM for the smooth and efficient manner in which these elections were held and acknowledged that GECOM has demonstrated its capacity to hold free, fair and credible elections,” APNU+AFC said.

Those two political organizations are due to hold a joint news conference on Friday.

Meanwhile, the AFC in a separate statement sought to refute claims by the opposition People’s Progressive Party that it failed to attract a high number of votes at Monday’s Local Government Elections. The AFC said it  “moderately increased its support among Guyanese from the 10.32% which it registered in 2011 when it last contested elections independently.”