THE AFC was never a democratic political party and it will continue to preach but never practice such a principle.

At the 2012 AFC Conference, its leader Khemraj Ramjattan was simply selected as the Leader; there was no nomination and voting. It was his ‘divine right’ as one of the founders of the Alliance For Change: But then Nigel Hughes was selected as the Chairman of the AFC – no nomination and again no voting. Many of the members present questioned this selection. Is this the democracy the AFC practices? Is this process enshrined in the AFC’s Constitution? When Mrs. Punalall contested against Moses Nagamootoo for the Vice-chairmanship it was already ‘messaged’ to the delegates for whom they should cast their votes. The same happened in the contest for the General Secretary position between Sixtus Edwards and David Patterson.

I wish at this point to shed some light as to the reason why Edwards, the former General Secretary, became unpopular with the Executive and why the Executive touted and lobbied for his removal. It was because of his continuous call for accountability of party funds, namely donations that sounded his ‘death knell’. Even at the said Conference Edwards again reiterated his call for accountability, which did not go well with the AFC ‘fat cats’. Edwards has served the AFC since 2005 and did an excellent job. It was also Edwards who found that MP Ramayya should be disciplined for his acts of cronyism and corruption. These findings were pushed under the rug and the AFC Leader gave a Press Release to the effect that it was all a ‘misunderstanding’. Edwards was utterly shocked by this since even he was not told about that ‘Press Relase’.

Furthermore, I was removed as the Regional Management Committee Chairman for Region 6 and Councillor Donna Mathoo as the Secretary without us being informed that a new election was to be held. This is high class rigging that was done by MP Ramayya simply because we refused to raise funds to ‘repay’ him $4.5 million, which he was not legally entitled to claim since he was not authorised to do so and he had no bills to substantiate his claim. What a co-incidence that the AFC is claiming that the Finance Minister ‘illegally’ spent $4.5 billion when such sums were expended for the development of this country and were properly accounted for. Furthermore, the Constitution of Guyana authorised him to do so. Why didn’t Nagamootoo call a vote of ‘no-confidence’ against MP Ramayya at the last Conference? This is AFC’s democracy in action.

Now again, ahead of the 2014 AFC Conference, Nagamootoo is being selected as the Presidential candidate and Hughes as the Prime Ministerial candidate. This endorsement was already done by AFC’s Leader Ramjattan and his executive. The delegates of the 2014 Conference will never go against the dictates of their masters simply because they have no choice. The candidates have also already endorsed each other publicly. Is this the way things ought to be done in the AFC? The AFC had claimed to be different from the other political parties but now I know that this ‘difference’ means worse. The AFC ‘fat cats’ have not even tried to make the electoral process seen as democratic. The democratic rights to elect those candidates have been usurped from those delegates and once again the AFC leadership has moved from the founding tenets of the AFC. The ‘Johnnies come lately’ have taken over the AFC and the old members are being quietly kicked out of the party. Can they deny this?

Lastly, I was expelled from the AFC without a hearing although the AFC Constitution provides for that and I read about my expulsion in the newspapers before I officially received the expulsion letter from the General Secretary. The PPP treated Ramjattan with more dignity when he was expelled from that Party, because he was afforded a hearing and he was duly notified.

To those few AFC sympathisers I say, take a good hard look what is happening within the AFC and do not take them on face value. Many AFC members and supporters have already made their exit from this party. Whatever the AFC leaders are preaching in the Stabroek News, the Kaieteur News and on DTV 8 in Berbice is not what is happening within the Party; cronyism and corruption is already cancerous and their personal vendetta against the PPP is destroying the social and economic gains made so far. Their vengeance will be complete when they would have facilitated the PNC to get into power. Their aim is to get rid of their nemesis, the PPP, at all and any cost.

HASEEF YUSUF
AFC Councillor, Region 6