…clarifies issues regarding candidates’ lists

THE Alliance For Change (AFC) has dismissed claims that there is “confusion” with its list of candidates submitted to the Guyana Elections Commission back in 2015.

In an article published on April 3, 2019, in the Kaieteur News, the newspaper presented a list of names of AFC members from the Berbice region in which it stated that it was not reflective of what was produced by AFC members to GECOM in 2015.

The article stated that “names were omitted and replaced” with others which were not on the list prior.

However, on Wednesday at the party’s press conference, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson responded to the allegations, on behalf of the party, as “false” even as he provided clarification on the matter. “The party rejects, it debunks this article in its entirety. It is based on falsehoods and misinformation.”

The party clarifies that in 2015 it requested all Regional Management Committees to submit names for the consideration of the National Executive for the purpose of inclusion on the list of candidates. The list submitted by the RMCs were not to be automatically included in the list of candidates to be sent up to GECOM, but were first to be considered by the National Executive,” Patterson explained.

He went on to explain that as has been the practice for Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) lists were submitted for both upper and lower Berbice. He said that what was displayed in Kaieteur News only represented half of what was submitted. He stated: “Their list was submitted and in that process, some of the names submitted were not put forward.”

He added that when finally completed and submitted, the regional list included five candidates for the geographical region. Based on the provisions of the Cummingsburg Accord of 60/40 representation between the AFC and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), three names were submitted for APNU and two for the AFC.

Patterson stated: “The two names selected by the AFC were Charrandass Persaud and Verasammy Ramayya. There was complete transparency in the entire process. It is regrettable that some persons are now attempting to use the misinformation to paint a different picture.”

Meanwhile, the AFC also responded to rumours that there is some “rifts” or ‘bad blood’ between AFC Leader Raphael Trotman and AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan as is being peddled in some circles.

“From the time the party was formed there have been these rumours of ‘rifts’ and they’ve continued because we’re like a small state surrounded by bug neighbours who don’t want us to exist and so there’s always going to be an attempt to disrupt, to destroy, to push us away, [but] Khemraj and I remain very close, we’re good friends, good colleagues, good comrades and we always have been and that is going to continue,” Minister Trotman stated.

He added that while in the election season, parties are looking to get ahead by spreading rumours, there is also no rift in the party which conducts all its processes and makes decisions in a democratic manner. “We meet as a collective and we make decisions as a collective and whether the leader or chairman or vice-chairman or general secretary, no one person makes decisions of that nature. We all come to consensual decision and we go ahead with that. That’s something I’m very proud about how the AFC functions,” he said.