WIN, APNU yet to reach agreement on joint statement

Last Updated on Monday, 24 August 2026, 20:32 by Denis Chabrol

More than eight hours after top leaders of the main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) held closed door talks on which major agenda items were not discussed, the two sides were yet to reach agreement on a promised statement on the outcome.

Emerging from the less than one hour of talks early Monday afternoon, People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) leader and APNU Chairman, Aubrey Norton and WIN leader Azruddin Mohamed said the major issues were not discussed. “We had no discussions on the way forward with the Local Government Commission and GECOM issue so we will be issuing a joint statement. Dialogue will continue,” Mr Mohamed said. Asked why those issues did not feature in the talks, he said WIN and APNU delegations have to return to their colleagues to decide on the way forward. Mr Mohamed  also told reporters that the two sides discussed the joint statement, terms of reference and possibly a memorandum of understanding.

For his part, Mr Norton said they agreed to develop a framework to hammer out the issues at future engagements. “I know in principle, we have agreed that we will work out a clear approach to moving forward,” he told reporters.  He described the meeting as “cordial” but the two sides did not talk about the issues. Pressed on why the need for framework, Mr Norton said that document would guide future engagements. “When you’re in serious negotiations, you need to have clear principles, a clear framework to be guided,” he said.

No date for the second round of engagements was available.

Demerara Waves Online News was told that People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) General Secretary, Sherwin Benjamin and WIN General Secretary had not yet reached agreement on the text of the statement.

Shortly after 7:30 PM, APNU parliamentarian and Working People’s Alliance (WPA) leader, Dr Hinds said on his Social Media programme, Politics 101 that “there is a joint statement that will be released some time this evening.”

Like the WIN leaders, Dr Hinds declined to talk about the outcome of the meeting, but noted that there was a “minority” of those who did not favour a meeting between WIN and APNU. “One thing that is certain is that the critical mass of persons who voted for WIN and the 12-seat APNU, they have a very healthy dislike for the PPP,” he also said.

Monday’s engagement stemmed from APNU’s strong objection to WIN’s omission of the former’s nominees to sit on the Local Government Commission that is responsible for appointing, disciplining and firing staff of the local councils across the country. Instead, WIN leader, Azruddin Mohamed, in his capacity as Guyana’s Opposition Leader submitted two of his party’s members and one from the one-seat Forward Guyana Movement. APNU is demanding at least one representative on the LGC, citing proportionality of its parliamentary and local council representations.

At WIN’s request, Monday’s meeting was held to discuss other major political issues with APNU. They include WIN’s one-year old demand that APNU-affiliated election commissioners resign and allow the new main opposition party to be represented on the Guyana Elections Commission, election of  a Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) Council and the hiring of GECOM-paid party scrutineers. There is a tie in the region 10 council, but WIN hopes that another council meeting can see that tie being broken.