…President confirms partnership talks with Shuman
…says JLP leader convinced two parties can find common ground

THE A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is in “exploratory” talks with the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) which has signalled its interest in a partnership.

On Wednesday, President David Granger told the media that the LJP, led by its Presidential Candidate, Lennox Shuman, is convinced that there are areas in which the two parties can find common ground. “I have had preliminary, exploratory talks with Mr. Shuman. We are looking for common ground; looking for areas of convergence. The policy of A Partnership for National Unity is that we are inclusionary and we welcome other parties who share our objectives to develop Guyana; Guyana’s children; Guyana’s environment,” the President said.

There are already several parties in the APNU such as the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR); the Working People’s Alliance (WPA); Justice For All Party; National Front Alliance and the Guyana Action Party (GAP). The Alliance For Change (AFC), which is not a part of the APNU, makes up the sixth party in the coalition.

Meanwhile, Shuman, who is the former Toshao of St. Cuthbert’s Mission and former Deputy Chairman of the National Toshaos’ Council (NTC), launched his Party in January 2019. At the launching, he told those attending that while many persons have associated the LJP with the indigenous community, it is a party that represents all of Guyana and is committed to addressing longstanding issues which have divided the nation. “Mr. Shuman has given me the assurance that there are areas of convergence between the Liberty and Justice Party and what he thinks the APNU stands for. So, we have not actually come to any agreement, talks are exploratory, but he is convinced that there is a wide area of convergence between the policies of our partnership and between his party,” the President said.

Guyana is expected to head to new General and Regional Elections on March 2, 2020, when the country’s two main political parties — A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) coalition and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) — will contest.

THE ISSUE OF CITIZENSHIP

Another matter discussed between the LJP and APNU was Schuman’s possession of dual citizenship. Shuman, Guyanese by birth, has been a Canadian citizen for some 28 years and has a wife who is a Canadian citizen by birth. Article 155 (1) (a) of the Constitution of Guyana sets out the eligibility requirements for persons to qualify as Members of Parliament. It states: “No person shall be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly who is, by virtue of his or her own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.”

Shuman had admitted that he is a citizen of Canada but promised to relinquish his Canadian citizenship. The President said on Wednesday: “The question has arisen [but] dual citizenship has nothing to do with the leadership of a political party. It has everything to do with entering the National Assembly or being a part of the Cabinet.”
APNU and LJP have not yet ironed out a timeline on when they will meet again but the President said that APNU has indicated its willingness to meet again this month.

CUMMINGSBURG ACCORD

Meanwhile, APNU is also in talks with its partner, the AFC, on the revision of its February 14, 2015, Cummingsburg Accord. It was under the Cummingsburg Accord that the two political parties were brought together as a coalition which saw the APNU nominating the Presidential Candidate and the AFC, the Prime Ministerial Candidate. The agreement will expire in February 2020 and the President said on Wednesday that the parties are now at the second of four stages whereby they are discussing ways for reviewing or remodelling the agreement.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the issue of a prime ministerial candidate for the upcoming Elections and the formula for the allocation of parliamentary seats are among critical issues that would be hammered out by the two teams. “We’re multitasking. APNU is looking after its relations with the Alliance For Change as well as the proposed relations with the Liberty and Justice Party,” President Granger said.
Regarding the appointment of a prime ministerial candidate, he stated the core principles recognise the role of the President in making certain appointments but it is also still a matter under discussion by the APNU/AFC. That aside, he said that in the final decision, the parties should be focused on “principles before personalities”.