APART from its ability to stage drama and desperation for publicity, the Alliance For Change (AFC) has a serious credibility problem.The AFC parliamentarians walked out at the start of the 2014 budget presentation by Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh last Monday to register their protest against not being consulted in the preparation of the budget. I recall that the AFC leaders were repeatedly invited by Dr. Singh to participate in the Government’s 2014 budget consultations and they refused to show up, similarly and equally true for those of the People’s National Congress (PNC)/ A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) leadership.

Two days later, the AFC has announced its intention to participate in the budget debates commencing next week. What does this mean? In the first place the AFC walkout of parliament was a publicity stunt as they wanted to steal the moment from the budget presentation but it backfired.

Convinced as they are that their participation would be meaningless because they were not consulted in the preparation of the national budget, then it would be useful for their individual and collective credibility to abstain throughout the 2014 budget debates as well.

There has been absolutely no change in the fact that the AFC did not participate in the 2014 budget consultations, so it should remain faithful to its position, as it did at the start of the budget presentation to avoid reducing themselves from active participants in national decision-making to one of a passive listener.
KWAME Mc COY