AFC told APNU a Norton-led coalition won’t have “national appeal and the likeability” for victory

Last Updated on Saturday, 14 June 2025, 19:01 by Writer

The Alliance For Change (AFC) had told the People’s National Congress Reform-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) that an Aubrey Norton-led coalition would not be attractive to secure victory in this year’s general and regional elections, even as the larger of the two political parties maintained that he would be its presidential candidate.

The AFC told APNU in an April 17, 2025 missive that, “in our humble and considered opinion, a Coalition led by Mr. Aubrey Norton will not have the requisite national appeal and the likeability necessary for national mobilization to be victorious at the polls.”

No reason was advanced for arriving at that conclusion by a Norton-led coalition. AFC Chairman David Patterson declined to say what would make such a political marriage with the PNCR Leader at the helm unattractive, but he pointed out that “at all times it was the presidential candidate that would give a coalition the best chance to win, should be selected via a scientific route.” He said the question of likeability was invented by persons outside of the talks, and the negotiating team has avoided such a position.

The AFC had initially proposed its Leader Nigel Hughes and then floated city businessman, Dr Terrence Campbell.

The AFC Chairman said rather, it was PNC members outside of the talks that kept pushing these “unbillboardable” and “likeability” conditions. “We always stuck to the data, which indicated which PC (presidential candidate) was ranked better – offered to use any scientific data that was acceptable to arrive at the final PC,” he said.

Asked about the AFC’s conditions under which Mr Norton would be accepted as the presidential candidate, Mr Patterson would only say that the “one unchanged principle” is that “the party that nominates the PC, cannot also nominate the ROL (Representative of the List)” irrespective of which party was allowed to select the ROL. The ROL has the power to select, recall and replace parliamentarians from its list of candidates.

Despite the collapse of the APNU-AFC coalition talks and AFC’s decision to contest the general elections on its own, both political organisations have left the door open to a remarriage ahead of July 14 Nomination Day. PNCR Executive Member Ganesh Mahipaul on Thursday maintained that Mr Norton would be the presidential candidate.