ASPIRING presidential candidate of the Alliance for Change (AFC) Michael Carrington is questioning the democratic process within his party, saying the open vote system puts candidates at a disadvantage. Carrington, who fared modestly in the Sunday’s AFC internal election to determine the presidential candidate, told the Guyana Chronicle he would have fared better had there been a secret ballot. He said that the open ballot system was intimidating and hurt his chances since persons whom he knows would have supported him have given their vote to another for fear of being identified with a particular candidate.

“I had requested secret ballot,” he said. “A secret ballot was prepared and everything, but then we ran into a problem when some of the members feel we should have a show of hands.
“ If you have showing of hands what it does basically is eliminate those people who wanted to vote the other way. Most members do not want to offend leaders. So basically what they would do is withhold and they will vote the other side because of showing of hands,” he said.

Further, he noted that if he had been selected as the party’s candidate, his chances at the national elections would have been very good.
“I do not come from the background of Khemraj or Raphael, I come from a completely different background and I see things completely different,” he said.
“I could work with anyone…if the PPP represents what is good, I could work with them. If the PNC represents what is good I could work with them,” Carrington said.

Carrington said that at present, the members of the party believe that Khemraj Ramjattan is the best candidate, hence the results of the elections.
Speaking of the AFC’s chances at the next elections, Carrington said that the party is going for a win, “but to be honest it would be hard to win with Ramjattan leading.”
He said that what takes place between now and the elections in terms of the political arena will determine whether or not the AFC partners with  another opposition to upset the ruling party. He said that presently, the AFC is looking for other partners, but this too is dependent on the political climate in the run up to the elections.