AFC prime ministerial candidate in push for justice, equality

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 July 2025, 20:26 by Writer

Fresh from her unopposed election as the Alliance For Change’s (AFC) prime ministerial candidate, prominent Amerindian activist and educator Laura George said she would be bringing her wealth of experience as a human rights and anti-corruption advocate to the post if elected.

“While I may have been looking as an advocate only for Indigenous People, that was my previous role. In my new role, I really would like to push and amplify my work of pushing for rights protections of the marginalised and the discriminated and stereotypes and everything else because injustice doesn’t stop, it doesn’t have boundary,” she told Demerara Waves Online News.

The AFC on Friday night elected Ms George as presidential candidate Nigel Hughes’ running mate.

She said “what is injustice for one is injustice for all”. Asked whether becoming the AFC’s prime ministerial candidate would be strategic as far as the Amerindian community was concerned in light of the fact that former AFC Executive Member, Juretha Fernandes who is also of Indigenous background, is A Partnership for National Unity’s vice presidential candidate, she said it is part of a wider effort for Guyana’s benefit. “I believe that all of us have a role to play to ensure that we have a government and political administration that is true to the protections of Guyana against corruption, to ensure there is equality of access to livelihood,” she said.

At the end of the four-hour long process Mr Hughes was quoted in a party statement as saying that “The AFC has done itself proud tonight. It had a process; it was transparent. Everyone was allowed to question the candidates and this all augers well for the future of our party.”

Sources said there were eight other nominees all of whom declined the nominations to allow Ms George, a Hughes favourite, to go forward.

Ms George, a former teacher, is best known locally and internationally as an indigenous rights advocate with more than 20 years of dedicated service to promotion of indigenous rights and the uplifting of Amerindian communities in Guyana, the party noted.

In the run up to the September 1, 2025 general and regional elections, the AFC said its National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Alliance For Change elected Ms George. The AFC said during an intense process of deliberations members of the NEC participated in the rigorous process which was conducted in an “air of camaraderie and fairness.”

The AFC says it has over the last week released several of its progressive development policies that will create a new and prosperous republic if elected to government. “The Party and its members are well into the campaign travelling across the length and breadth of Guyana holding intimate public meetings with citizens of Guyana.”