THE Healing the Nation Theocracy Party (HTNT) says it is still in negotiation with the A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Alliance, and remains optimistic of being accepted into the coalition before April 7, Nomination Day.HTNT General Secretary Alfred Parks said party members are 100 per cent behind the Alliance, and whether they are accepted or not, they will still give their full support to it on May 11.

On Friday, at a press briefing, members of the Guyana Rastafarian Council, the 12 Tribes of Israel and the House of Nyahbinghi, all distanced themselves from the Theocracy Party, making it clear that the party does not represent the Rastafarian community.
HTNT members were at the Alliance rally at Whim, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on Sunday, but they made the journey on their own.
Parks said party members mobalised and travelled to Berbice, as they are in full support of the APNU+AFC policies and programmes.
Following the HTNT’s Congress two Sundays ago, Party Executives were expected to meet with senior members of the Alliance, and according to Parks, they are yet to be invited. But they are hoping to be called before April 7.
He said the party is a bit disappointed that it has not yet been called, but remains optimistic of being of service to the Moses Nagamootoo and David Granger-led APNU+AFC alliance.
The HTNT has proposed to the Alliance that it intends to introduce a One Helicopter Per Family Programme, contending that it will be far better than the Government’s One Laptop Per Family Programme.
But from all indications, the Alliance has not been too receiving of the idea, and appears to have not been taking the HTNT, which is made up of some members of the Rastafarian community, seriously.
Parks told this publication that some of his close relatives are yet to receive laptops distributed by the Government, but helicopters will give a clear picture of the wealth of the country.

Symbols of wealth
This newspaper questioned him about the rationale of giving a helicopter to each family, but he said one should not miss the bigger picture, pointing out that it will be symbols of the wealth of the country.
The party was formed after Ras Leon Saul, who is now its General Secretary, fell out with United Republican Party (URP) Presidential Candidate Vishnu Bandhu over the legalisation of marijuana.
At the time, the HTNT had said that the current crop of politicians has great difficulty in providing practical solutions to the challenges facing Guyanese.
In its “Vision 2020” agenda for change, the party said: “We recognise that we have to put the power back into the hands of the people” and not leave the development of the country to some.
The party said it aims to create wealth by transforming the nature of the economy to achieve growth, accelerate poverty reduction and protection of the vulnerable and excluded by providing proper jobs and employment opportunities through the co-operative movement.
Parks had said he remains optimistic of an APNU+AFC win at the upcoming polls with Rastafarians support, pointing out that the latter hardly vote in national elections.
However, he said, with the formation of a party representing Rastafarians, there is a strong likelihood that the ‘clan’ will come out in full number and vote solidly for the HNTP.
But other leaders of the Rastafarian community said Parks and other members of the HNTP are having a pipe dream.
Parks had also posited that the HNTP constituency, though informal, accounts for a large per cent of APNU’s support base.
On that note, he said the HNTP has no intention of splitting APNU’s base, thereby jeopardising the alliance chances of winning the election.
He said the small party is interested in securing a regional seat in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), pointing out that here is where it will be focusing on widening the APNU+AFC support base.
However, both the APNU and the AFC command a strong following in Region Four, the most populous region of Guyana.

By Tajeram Mohabir