Few long-serving PPP members complaining about APNU+AFC defectors- Ali

Last Updated on Thursday, 12 June 2025, 17:41 by Writer

President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday said there were very few complaints from long-serving People’s Progressive Party (PPP) members that defectors from the People’s National Congress Reform-led A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change were joining his party to be rewarded.

“I don’t know that this is a widespread view,” he said when asked by Demerara Waves Online News. He said PPP members understood that the aim of their party has always been about building a national front of every class, race and religion. “The PPP is demonstrating this and everyone, who is a PPP member, everyone who embraces the philosophy of the People’s Progressive Party is embracing a philosophy that is national in nature,” he added.

Dr Ali said those leaving the opposition and aligning with the PPPC were doing so after comparing their party in government with his administration. Asked why he was so accommodating and praising APNU and AFC members who had allegedly participated in rigging the 2020 general and regional elections, he said they have changed their outlook and were supporting democracy. “Those, who are preaching about moral compass, have not sought forgiveness from the Guyanese people as yet. Those, who are now embracing a democratic force have acknowledged, in embracing that democratic force, in embracing the philosophy and the messaging that ‘we were part of something that was not in the best interest of Guyana’ and many of them have spoken to us,” he told Demerara Waves Online News.

Dr Ali said “forgiveness” is part of a process of moving forward and so the defectors have been explaining their reasons for doing so. “They are moving forward knowing that it is something better for Guyana, better for the society, better for democracy, better for the rule of law and they are removing themselves from something that did not represent this and that speaks for itself,” he said.

None of those who have endorsed the PPPC has openly denounced the APNU and AFC for trying to rig the 2020 general and regional elections. They include Dr Richard Van West Charles, Attorney-at-Law James Bond, former Vice President and Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs Sydney Allicock, businessman Basil Blackman, Region Four Chairman Daniel Seeram, Region Four Vice Chairman Samuel Sandy and former PNCR General Secretary Geeta Chandan-Edmond.

He said there were opposition personalities, who were talking about the ‘moral compass’ but were allegedly involved in efforts to rig the 2020 general and regional elections as well as others who were in a “coalition of convenience” whose sole aim was to remove the PPPC from office. He said they had no policies to grow Guyana and increase jobs and other opportunities. “That is why you see so many people moving to the other side of the equation, so many persons gravitating to the People’s Progressive Party Civic,” he said.

PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton last week vowed to bring an end to defections in the future by ensuring that candidates are properly selected. “For me, it’s an end of an era when we made bad choices in terms of the people we placed in positions,” he said last week.