Third AFC member resigns for the year

Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 March 2021, 17:07 by Denis Chabrol

The Alliance For Change (AFC) has been hit by another resignation, this time by Michael Leonard who also says he will be resigning from the Georgetown City Council.

Mr. Leonard says he has quit politics altogether and that he is not doing so to take up any job with the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC)-administration.

He says that he is happy that he was able to successfully advocate for the holding of local government elections through organisations such as Blue Caps, Team Legacy and later the AFC. “I’m very happy that we helped to resume the national conversation about local government elections and we got it,” he said.

At the same time he reiterated his long-held belief that community organisations rather than the established big parties should contest for the municipal and neighbourhood councils. “The communities clearly need more people who are not tied  to the big parties,” said Mr. Leonard. He said he would be ready to share his experience and offer advice to any group that emerges.

Saying that elected office is a form of public service, Mr. Leonard hopes that with his departure from politics that young persons will be given an opportunity like he had gotten. At the same time, he was aware that existing political leaders do not necessarily want to make way for young successors. “Some of the persons do not know when to exit. Others are ready to contribute,” he said.

Asked if he decided to quit politics because he was not picked to become a parliamentarian, Mr. Leonard says he did not want to become a lawmaker as “that job is very difficult.”

With Mr. Leonard’s resignation, this brings to three the number of known AFC members who have resigned so far for the year. Those who have already walked away from the party for the year are Attorney-at-Law Joel Persid-Edmond and Reynard Ward.