FACTIONS within the Alliance For Change (AFC) are beginning to lobby the party’s general membership and wider leadership for the resignation of ‘Khan Ram-parts’, whom it is believed has not been handling the internal affairs of the party properly. ‘Ram-parts’ was elected leader of the AFC at the party’s last delegates’ conference in August this year following the resignation of Raphael Trotman.
Since his appointment to the post, the party has been sharply criticised by its general membership for its poor handling of several internal conflicts and rifts that have slowly made their way into the public domain and public media.
The Chronicle has been given to understand that several pockets of organised AFC grassroots supporters have already begun calling for Ramjattan’s resignation. “We are concerned that not only is he messing things up internally, but he is leading the party down the wrong path. We are looking bad, and just as vindictive as the APNU,” an AFC grassroots supporter and lobbyist said.
Another senior member of the party who has been speaking on condition of anonymity to this newspaper explained that “the Nigel Hughes faction is also seeking to lay the groundwork so that their candidate could be prematurely propelled to the leadership chair of the AFC.”
Already, the grassroots supporters allege that Ramjattan’s four-month stewardship of the party has led to a massive decline of its image, as persons have again begun to confuse its positions and policies with those of A Partnership for National Unity and the People’s National Congress Reform.
“We don’t like what they are doing in parliament. Ram-parts is making us look like we are part of the APNU coalition, and I am opposed to this. I joined this party because they said they would be different than the PPP and PNC,” another supporter, who only gave her name as  ‘Jenny’, remarked.
Many feel that the AFC, under Ramjattan’s leadership, will cause them another election, as he is appearing to be very “radical” in his management style. Others contend that the PPP/C member-turned-AFC Leader and parliamentarian appears to have an obsession with going after “the former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, even though some of us AFC members would prefer that the party focuses its energies on working towards rooting out corruption and building and laying the platform for an AFC government.”
Several party grassroots leaders have already spoken out against what the “silence-or- be-silenced culture” that is being promoted by Ram-parts within the party even when flagrant problems related to internal corruption, bribery and character assassination occur with the party.
“With Ram-parts,” they say, “the Alliance For Change will change for the worst.”