AFC warns of “consequences” if APNU rejects nominee for Region 10 Vice Chairmanship

Last Updated on Friday, 12 August 2022, 20:49 by Denis Chabrol

The Alliance For Change (AFC) on Friday warned  of “consequences” if the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) does not support its nominee for the post of Vice Chairman for Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan named Ms Coretta Braithwaite as his party’s choice that APNU councillors would be asked to support at the next statutory meeting scheduled for August 16, 2022. “If she is not given that position, well then there might be some consequences in relation to relationship and all of that but we are hoping that all the councillors there or the majority of them  in the APNU-AFC coalition vote for Coretta,” Mr Ramjattan told  news conference.

The Vice Chairman’s office has been vacant ever since APNU’s Douglas Gittens died of COVID-19 in June 2021, but AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan on Friday said that as a trade off for APNU’s break of its promise to endorse Neilsen Mc Kenzie for the Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Vice Chairmanship but in the end backed its member, Samuel Sandy, his party was proposing to occupy the Region 10 Vice Chairmanship.

“The Alliance For Change has indicated that in view of the fact that we will not be in a position to get the Region Four Vice Chair, we will like at least the Region 10 Vice Chair to be granted to the AFC,” he said.

Pressed on whether the AFC has received any assurance that its pick would be supported by APNU, Mr Ramjattan said that was obtained based on his party’s preference.

Mr Ramjattan described Ms Braithwaite as a “pretty well-known” AFC activist and regional councillor since the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections.