THE move towards a merger between the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) is not surprising because AFC leader, Mr. Raphael Trotman never mentally left the PNCR, political observers said yesterday.
Trotman defected from the PNCR as a senior member and Member of Parliament to form the AFC but he has not abandoned his former party’s philosophy, ideology and positions, a seasoned observer said.
The AFC is leading a bid for an opposition coalition with the PNCR and other parties for the 2011 general elections and PNCR leader, Mr. Robert Corbin, last week confirmed that talks on a possible alliance were under way.
An AFC recruited Barbadian political strategist, Mr. Hartley Henry, was here last week and met Trotman and Corbin, among others, in separate sessions.
Corbin told reporters talk about an alliance was not new and said there was nothing secret about the meetings last week.
He and Trotman had a bitter fallout earlier this year when Trotman denied that the two parties were discussing a merger and accused him of secret talks about a shared governance arrangement with President Bharrat Jagdeo.
Corbin said the two parties have had several meetings on cooperating and collaborating.