– Garrido-Lowe expelled as leader and presidential candidate
ALLIANCE For Change (AFC) presidential candidate Khemraj Ramjattan confirmed yesterday that The United Force (TUF) executive, Ms. Valerie Garrido-Lowe has joined the AFC. But, in a statement to the press, the executive members of The United Force (TUF) made it clear that TUF has not joined with the Alliance For Change to contest the upcoming general and regional elections.
“The United Force wishes to also inform the public that it will be contesting these elections with a full slate of candidates in the national and regional elections,” the release said.

Expelled
TUF’s statement pointed out that Garrido-Lowe has been expelled from that political entity. She can no longer be a member, leader, or its presidential candidate.
“Ms. Garrido-Lowe’s injunction against members of the executive was dismissed by the Full Court (Decision 72/APL), which cleared the way for the decision taken by the TUF executives on September 1, 2011 to expel (her) from The United Force, and to prevent her from performing in any capacity representing The United Force,” the statement said.
It added that at the party’s conference held on May 29, the membership passed a resolution to contest these elections independently, and Garrido-Lowe has no authority to carry The United Force into any arrangement with any group.
“TUF has also decided on a presidential candidate. (That person is) a prominent member of civil society,” the statement said.
The party’s executive body, the release noted, has recently placed its day-to-day running in the hands of the following executives:
1. Ismail Muhammad, chairman;
2. Dennis Lee, treasurer;
3. Murtland Williams, executive member; and
4. Elton Chase, the GECOM accredited Chief Scrutineer for The United Force.

Leadership struggle
The United Force has been struggling with leadership challenges. Mrs. Valerie Garrido-Lowe has repeatedly called for the incumbent leader, Labour Minister, Manzoor Nadir, to relinquish his seat in the National Assembly.
Reports are that the call for Nadir to give up his seat comes as TUF tries to distance itself from the PPP/C government, under which Nadir has twice served as minister.
At a recent news briefing, Garrido-Lowe said TUF wanted to go into the 2011 general election as an independent party, without any attachments to the PPP/C.
“The election is just a few (weeks) away, and The United Force wants to have a fair chance (at) contesting the elections, and we want to give the Guyanese people another choice to vote for; and we can’t be another choice if Mr. Nadir is still in Parliament not representing us,” Garrido-Lowe had said.

Eating her words
In an invited comment, Nadir told the Guyana Chronicle that Garrido-Lowe is now eating her words, having switched positions from wanting to have TUF contest the elections “independently” to joining the AFC.
On the question of his relinquishing his seat in the National Assembly, Nadir maintained that he would do so only if a majority of the 65-member House voted for him to so do.
The United Force first contested national elections in 1964, when it received 12.4 per cent of the vote and won seven seats to become the junior partner in a coalition government with the People’s National Congress. In the 1968 elections, its share of the vote fell to 7.4 per cent and it was reduced to four seats. The party did not contest any elections during the 1970s, but returned in 1980, receiving 2.9 per cent of the vote and winning two seats. It retained the two seats in the 1985 elections, before being reduced to a single seat in 1992. It retained its single seat in elections in 1997, 2001 and 2006.
Nadir stressed that TUF has no alliance with the AFC. On Nomination Day, today, he would be presenting that party’s list of candidates to Chief Elections Officer Gocool Boodhoo.

No run
Garrido-Lowe’s alliance with the AFC effectively prevents the Nomination Day run – a possibility acknowledged by the chief elections officer should the party not settle on a leader and presidential candidate.
At GECOM’s press briefing last week, Boodhoo said, “It is one symbol, and two parties can’t hold on to a single symbol. The first group to present the list would be accepted.”
He pointed out that TUF has the court to resolve its internal struggles for leadership; but come Nomination Day, whoever presents the requisite documentation will be recognized as the candidate for the 2011 regional and general elections.
Nadir reiterated that Garrido-Lowe is no longer with TUF, and that political entity will be moving forward to contest the 2011 regional and general elections come November 28th.