…President warns against six vices

A PARTNERSHIP for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition on Friday officially launched its campaign committee at Congress Place, Sophia, with President David Granger warning against six vices.

In a terse statement, the coalition said the committee was launched by President Granger who is also campaign director. The launch was attended by representatives of all the coalition partners.

The release stated that President Granger expounded on six essential virtues that campaign managers of the coalition must possess and six vices they must eschew. General-Secretary of the Peoples’ National Congress Reform (PNCR) and Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, discussed the roles of the operational structure. Ally emphasised that the coalition can and will succeed in the upcoming national elections. Those gathered at the launch stand ready to work for success of the campaign, the release stated.
The Guyana Chronicle reported recently that the APNU+AFC coalition had signalled its full confidence in seeing Granger continuing and have all endorsed him as the presidential candidate heading into the next elections. APNU General-Secretary Joseph Harmon, in a letter, had said it is with a deep sense of pride “that I endorse David Arthur Granger to be the coalition’s presidential candidate for a second term.

“This is a man who has proven over the past three and a half years to be one with great vision, capability and has a right-thinking mind. “We in the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) are confident of his candidature as we have seen the appreciation of the Guyanese electorate for the work he has done over the years,” Harmon said.

He added that Granger’s sober thinking, his advocacy for peace and development and his desire to see Guyana progress, have all aided to enhance his beliefs of good governance. “Guyanese, we need a good captain who can steer the ship ‘Guyana’ without malfeasances and corruption, so that all of us can be beneficiaries of good governance and a developed country. Let us support the APNU+AFC coalition,” Harmon, who is also minister of state, concluded.

“He’s a very upright person, very principled. No one can point a finger at him in relation to personal corruption; he’s really a model citizen, and we’ll be in support,” affirmed Working People’s Alliance (WPA) executive member, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, who said he sees no reason why his party would be swayed from President Granger as the candidate.
“I have heard nothing other than that and I am certain that there’s no plan in the party to switch from President Granger. I’ve had the advantage of knowing President Granger probably longer than anyone else in the party, since we were in school in the same house, and I feel confident that he will lead the APNU+AFC coalition to victory when it comes to that.”

The WPA is one of several parties constituting the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition section of the government. Other parties include the People’s National Congress (PNC), the National Front Alliance (NFA), the Guyana Action Party (GAP) and the Justice For All Party (JFAP). The APNU was formed in 2011 and then joined forces with the Alliance For Change (AFC) in 2015 to contest elections that year.

Ally said despite orchestrated rumours and untruths regarding his health and competence, “I, on behalf of the PNCR, would like to indicate that he is ‘fit and proppa’ for a second term and the PNCR endorses his candidature.” Ally said the party looks forward to being under his guidance for a second term and urged Guyanese to vote for vision, development, cordiality, selfless work and enjoying the “good life.” Additionally, Ally said President Granger was elected unopposed at his party’s Biennial Congress last August and that the party is fully aware of his competence, his principles and his vision for Guyana.

“We are also cognisant of his discipline and in no way can [he] be deemed as a corrupt leader. He possesses the necessary qualities that are required to be a country’s leader. He has constantly been active in cleaning up the 23 years of mess which the PPP put our country in,” Ally added. She said Granger has been tried for the past three and a half years and has proven his competence to lead Guyana for a second term.

For its part at a recent news conference, the AFC asserted that it is not in a weakened state at the coalition’s negotiating table, nor is it unprepared for a possible election following the no-confidence vote. “The AFC reaffirms that the coalition remains strong and reassures all Guyanese that the party is firmly committed to the rule of law and remains Guyana’s largest multi-ethnic party, which continues to be unwavering in pursuit of representing the interest of all Guyanese,” Public Security Minister and AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan said. He added: “We are very much prepared for an election, but we will have the elections, I understand [and] as was agreed to at the leader of the opposition and the President’s meeting when the two very important matters of court cases and GECOM’s readiness are known”.