APNU, WIN quarelling about failure to hold collaboration talks

Last Updated on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, 22:34 by Writer

A bitter row erupted on Tuesday between A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) over their failure to meet during the past two months.

APNU member of parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul attacked WIN for not following up with a date, time and venue for the meeting which was being planned last November.

He said the two sides had gone as far as naming their five-member delegations, but in one instance aborted the meeting because APNU parliamentary leader Dr Terrence Campbell had an out-of-town appointment.

After the initial call between himself and WIN Leader, Azruddin Mohamed, he said subsequent efforts to solicit a response were unsuccessful.

So far, according to Mr Mahipaul, the two sides only reached agreement on a proposed agenda, including the composition of parliamentary committees, the chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee and sectoral committees, the appointment of shadow ministers, and other parliamentary matters.

The APNU MP, who is also an executive member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) – the largest party in his parliamentary coalition – said there was no further room for time wasting because WIN had shown little or no genuine interest in such a collaborative approach to hold the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) accountable.

“The only thing Azruddin seems to be interested in right now is to protect himself from his legal jeopardy and selectively exposing some of the the wrongdoings of the PPP/C that he was part and parcel of, and facilitated when the friendship was strong. In the circumstance he is best advised to continue to sing like a canary but also realise that being an MP requires lots more,” he said.

At the same time Mr Mahipaul did not close the door to future engagements with WIN which he noted is the largest opposition party with 16 seats. APNU has 12 seats and Forward Guyana Movement one.

Reacting to Mr Mahipaul’s statement, the WIN Leader expressed utter disgust, countering that he had also made numerous efforts to get the talks off the ground.

He lashed out at Mr Mahipaul, accusing him of demanding the chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Mr Mohamed said no commitment was given.

The WIN Leader also said the Mohameds family had for several years financially assisted APNU, and, in particular, Mr Mahipaul.

Mr Mahipaul called that outburst “cheap and low” while also referring to several instances of advice to Mr Mohamed about parliamentary procedures.

The APNU legislator acknowledged receiving financial help from Mr Mohamed years ago to deal with a relative’s health emergency.

On the issue of the PAC chairmanship, Mr Mahipaul admitted making such an overture rather than a demand, solely on the grounds of APNU having parliamentary experience.

He said APNU, in turn, was willing to support WIN’s chairmanship of a number of other parliamentary committees.

During the 2025 election campaign, APNU had accused WIN of poaching in its strongholds by offering financial inducements.