…coalition partners urge swift resolution of disagreements
…say APNU+AFC to preserve ‘winning brand’

By Lisa Hamilton
As the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) iron out issues surrounding the revision of the Cummingsburg Accord, coalition party executives have called on the two sides to look at the bigger picture at this crucial part in the country’s history.

Executives of the AFC, on Thursday, held a press conference where they relayed that the negotiations on a revision of the Cummingsburg Accord had hit a snag over discussions on the naming of the Prime Ministerial Candidate. Under the Cummingsburg Accord, which brought the two political parties together as a coalition in 2015, the APNU nominates the Presidential Candidate and the AFC, the Prime Ministerial Candidate. However, with the accord under review, there is a push for the Prime Ministerial Candidate to be selected by the President but the AFC has stated that this is “non-negotiable”. In the interim, Chairman of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Volda Lawrence said the party is very optimistic that the matters will be ironed out and the coalition will emerge stronger than ever.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Raphael Trotman has cautioned that a divided coalition could receive a negative response from the electoral as he made it clear that the coalition is better together. Speaking with the newspaper over the weekend, representative of the Guyana Action Party (GAP) in APNU, Fourth Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock said that he agrees with the message of Lawrence and Trotman. He stated that in the last four years the coalition government was able to make remarkable and unprecedented improvements to the country which would not have been possible had not they worked together.

“I think what we should be doing at this time is to assess our position; look at our weaknesses and strengthen the coalition. I think the coalition is the way to go. Under the leadership of His Excellency, President Granger and evenly supported by Prime Minister Nagamootoo, I think they have been leaders who steered the coalition in the direction that this country has never seen before,” he said.

With oil on the horizon, Allicock also cautioned that it is the least appropriate time for division amongst coalition parties as citizens are depending on a unified government to lead them safely into prosperity. He stated: “We’re stronger together rather than being divided because I think the coalition represents the entire country…some persons might be a little too ambitious at this time. We should be thinking about the entire nation with the discovery of oil, we have a very good opportunity to develop a plan that is going to allow each and every Guyanese to benefit.”

Similar sentiments were shared by Executive Member of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) in APNU, Dr. David Hinds who stated that the party believes that the areas of disagreements are not beyond resolution. “WPA does not pretend that both sides do not have legitimate contentions and concerns going forward but, in coalition politics, an important test of a party’s mettle is its ability to marry its values and interests to those of the collective. That outcome demands a convergence of shrewdness, conciliation, tenacity, conviction and grasp of the requirements of the political moment. In the end, a stable coalition is far better for Guyana than individual parties locked into their partisan nests,” he said.

Dr. Hinds explained that negotiations are important within the coalitions as it protects from zero sum partisan positions and allow for a workable Accord. He also reminded that the APNU+AFC brand is a winning brand which must not be compromised at the “altar of expediency or political ego”.

While things aren’t perfect, Minister Allicock said that AFC and APNU share more in common and are on the right track. “I think we need to focus on the bigger picture rather than fighting against one another we should be fighting for one another,” he said.
Leaving his words of advice, Dr. Hinds stated: “The WPA feels that the coalition is the best vehicle to take Guyana forward at this crucial juncture in our history. In that regard we would like both sides to think about the larger picture. Coalition building and coalition preservation can be very challenging, particularly in our very polarizing environment. We urge patience and prudence but, above all, we ask that our partners not be distracted by the narratives of our detractors that are meant to turn points of disagreements into irreconcilable differences.” Lawrence has informed that the negotiations are expected to continue with the team awaiting the return of the AFC lead negotiator, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson from overseas duties.

At their news conference last week some executives of the AFC were adamant that it must name the Prime Ministerial Candidate, and its nominee, Khemraj Ramjattan, must be accepted. It was during that press conference that the AFC Executives indicated that if the matter is not resolved by the time the National Executive Committee meets on November 2, 2019, a decision will have to be taken on whether or not the AFC will contest the elections as a coalition or an independent party.

But Trotman in urging caution and reason said: “ultimately the Executive will make that determination whether or not the AFC goes alone or whether or not it goes as a coalition,” Trotman said but made it clear that a coalition is the better option. “I don’t see a better alternative to the coalition, quite frankly. So I think compromise has to be found on both sides, and we will find a solution to this, and I am confident about that,” Trotman said.
He said the AFC saw “value” in the coalition in 2015, and today, the ethos and value remain the same. The AFC Chairman said despite the disagreements between the two sides, he believes that matter will be resolved in time. “I believe that in every engagement of this nature you will have moments of disagreement but I believe that ultimately both parties wish, as I said earlier, and desire a coalition. So the pause for me does give us an occasion to seriously reflect on where we were four or five years ago, and of course to look ahead as to where we want to go and bearing in mind the people’s expectation of us,” Trotman said.
He emphasised that in negotiation, there must be compromise. Referencing to the 2018 Local Government Elections, Trotman said based on the results, it was clear that the people were dissatisfied that the APNU and the AFC had contested those elections independently. He warned to enter the General and Regional Elections as independent parties could be detrimental to both sides. “We are likely to see a reaction that is not in our best interest if we are separate and apart,” he posited.

Trotman is urging the two sides to regroup their efforts and strive to arrive at a compromise. “I certainly don’t want to be, and I know, none of my colleagues here want to be on the wrong side of history by being involved in a gambling, high stakes, poker game. So we have to do what is best in the national interest,” he said.