RAPHAEL Trotman’s refusal to be the running mate of Ramjattan is one of the most interesting facts of recent political history in Guyana.

To make matters worse the AFC leader did not only refuse to run beside Ramjattan but has, to date, been only lukewarm in his endorsement.

Trotman needs to show some enthusiasm, even as a goodwill gesture. Recent developments do not bode well for the party and speculation is now rampant that another executive member is on the brink of resigning. The last executive member to resign accused the party of being undemocratic. That executive member was actually the one-time CEO of the AFC.
Many people are now asking if the long leadership disputes in the AFC are actually over. One thing that needs to be clarified, is, whose voice should be taken as the definitive word of the AFC. Should it be Mr. Trotman’s – the leader; or Mr. Ramjattan’s – the presidential candidate?
The PNCR is probably in worse trouble, difficult as that may seem. Mr. Corbin has turned down the possibility of his own candidacy and so others, such as Granger, Greenidge, Green, and Harding are knocking on the door. This list is quite disappointing, packed as it were with old timers from the days of illegitimate rule.
Mr. Granger would not be able to brush-off his role in the military during the period of dictatorship. More specifically, his role in rigged elections would really need clarification. Does he really expect anyone to believe that he was merely hanging around Timehri while his juniors were busy stuffing and stealing ballot boxes?
Incidentally, Faith Harding would also have to answer questions about rigged elections. She has a chance to come clean on this subject. We need a detailed account from her. Did she, for instance, object to plans to steal elections. Did she object to the stupidity of the Knowledge Sharing Institute? Did she object to human rights violations?
Mr. Hamilton Green does not really have to answer some of these questions because the answers are already known. He does, however, need to explain to voters how he can be a good president of Guyana when he cannot even be a minimally acceptable Mayor of Georgetown. He has had more than a decade and a half to prove himself so excuses won’t be accepted.
Mr. Greenidge was finance minister at a time that Guyana joined a whole bunch of dictatorships and authoritarian governments in selling off state property for next to nothing in order to stay in power. Even so when the PNC demitted office Guyana had one of the highest debt service ratios in the world.
The WPA does not really exist as a party and so not much needs to be said. It is difficult to even speculate on who might be at the head of their electoral ticket because almost all of their big ones live in the USA and Canada. They wouldn’t meet the basic residency requirements.