SINCE their decision to form a coalition with the aim of ousting the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) from Government, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition has stood in the face of criticisms while losing a few of their members and supporters, particularly the AFC. 

Founding member of the AFC, Raphael Trotman at a joint APNU+AFC press conference last month, admitted that his party is aware that there is “some measure of disaffection” among its supporters, which is resulting in “marginal amounts” of support being lost as a result of the coalition.
However, following the AFC’s declaration of its intention to coalesce with the main Opposition, APNU, the party had come under severe criticism not only from political pundits, but even from some of their members who deemed the AFC’s move as compromising its political independence.

The solidification of the AFC’s intention to join forces with APNU for a “government of national unity” then took effect on February 14, 2015, with the signing of the “Cummingsburg Accord” between the two Opposition parties.
Unpredictably, this resulted in the AFC’s former General Secretary, Sixtus Edwards, submitting his resignation, later citing the coalition as one of the reasons. Days later, the resignation of another AFC member Balwant Persaud was submitted with the same reason cited.
The former AFC member was also quoted in a Guyana Times article dated Friday February 20, as saying: “But recently, the AFC has deceived the members of the party by aligning with the APNU… the AFC’s executives are just selfish … the leaders of the AFC are just concerned about getting into Parliament and holding positions.”
APNU did not escape this fate either, as long-standing PNC Member of Parliament, Africo Selman opted to resign from APNU, citing “infighting” within the partnership. Although Selman’s resignation was not related to the formation of the coalition, she explained that her decision was one which was made after repeated abuse from the party’s Chief Whip, Ms. Amna Ally, coupled with the lack of redress on the part of the executive.
While many have assumed that the loss of members and supporters for the coalition would result in a fragmentation of the party’s structure, former speaker of the National Assembly and former PPP stalwart, Ralph Ramkarran opined that there will be no fragmentation of the structure of the party.
He was however quick to add that there is “bound to be some disaffection” within the parties among its members and supporters.