AFC goes ahead with breaking away from coalition with APNU

Last Updated on Friday, 18 November 2022, 14:13 by Denis Chabrol

Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan on Friday said it was going ahead with its decision to walk away from the coalition of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) at the end of 2022.

Mr Ramjattan said the exit would take place at the end of December 31, 2022  and he would “at the appropriate time write” to Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton. The AFC Leader said his party expected to retain its nine seats in the National Assembly and would be “united in parliamentary action” against the People’s Progressive Party Civic-led administration but sides should feel free to have separate views/

He said Mr Norton has already been notified of the AFC’s decision to leave the coalition.

AFC Chairman Cathy Hughes said the two sides met about three months ago in an effort to iron out there problems, even as she said the Cummingsburg Accord, a political pact with APNU,  which expires year-end had governed their relations in government.  “It was never really designed for an agreement out of government”, she told a news conference.

Mr Ramjattan and Ms Hughes said the AFC would now seize the opportunity of reasserting its independence and rebuilding its party base to the point of doubling its current rating of 7.9 percent contained in the Turkey Institute poll. “We would like, as that independent party to go back on the ground in opposition and get our support back actives,” he said.

Over the years, the AFC has complained privately and publicly about the shoddy treatment that APNU has meted out to it in the area of local government campaigning, regional vice chairmanship of Regions Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Ten (Upper Demerara- Upper Berbice).

No AFC parliamentarian has for several months now appeared at news conferences that are hosted weekly by the Opposition Leader who is also Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).

The AFC has decided to boycott the 2023 Local Government Elections over concerns that the voters list is bloated with the names of deceased and migrants.