…party announces decision to contest LGEs independent of APNU

THE Alliance For Change (AFC) will contest November’s Local Government Elections (LGEs) independently.

“This decision was reached following the inconclusive negotiations with APNU,” the party said in a statement Sunday afternoon.

General-Secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Amna Ally, the dominant member in the coalition government, told the Guyana Chronicle that the APNU is fully prepared for the polls.

When asked for a comment regarding the AFC’s position, Ally said she can only speak for APNU’s preparation for the elections.

“We have made strides in various areas, we have started our work,” she said, noting that APNU will be contesting the LGE in all the constituencies.

“We have the capacity to do well in all areas,” she said.

In February this year, the party announced that it was committed to contesting the elections with its coalition partner, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

However, the party pointed out at the time that its position was subject to the mutual resolution of a set of issues it had put forward.

The AFC was quick to point out on Sunday that its latest decision applies only to the November 12 polls, “and does not, in any way, affect the APNU+AFC coalition government, nor does it, in any way, change the AFC’s position on coalition politics at the national level.”

The party reaffirms its commitment to the APNU+AFC coalition and said its Management Committee has resolved into the LGE Campaign Committee.

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has been appointed campaign director, while Juretha Fernandes has been appointed deputy campaign director.
Appointments to other positions will be done subsequently, the party said.
The AFC noted that it is in full preparation mode for LGEs, including hosting meetings in the various constituencies and identifying potential candidates who will be subject to a rigorous internal vetting process before official appointment.

“Candidates will be addressing the local issues which are of concern to citizens and working collaboratively to find practical and implementable solutions,” the party said.

The AFC is currently determining which municipalities and constituencies it will strategically contest, as it does not envision contesting in each Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and in every constituency of all municipalities until subsequent election cycles.

The party said it is confident of the support it will continue to receive from the populace and assured citizens that it will only nominate candidates of the highest calibre and quality.
In February, the AFC announced that party leader Raphael Trotman was mandated to write leader of the APNU, President David Granger, stating the party’s position on the issues of concern.

“The timeframe for a resolution and an agreement with APNU is the end of April 2018,” the AFC stated, while adding that it is cognisant that there are areas in the relationship that are working well and others that need to be examined and strengthened.

Additionally, the AFC stated that “the recommendations from AFC’s review of the Cummingsburg Accord will be pursued with APNU with a view to strengthening and enforcing the accord, not just for Local Government Elections, but particularly for the 2020 General Elections, which members saw as the bigger picture.”

February 14, 2018, marked three years since the AFC entered into an agreement with APNU to contest the 2015 General and Regional Elections – a move which proved victorious for both parties.

On the anniversary of the Cummingsburg Accord, President Granger said the AFC had several options – proceed with the accord as it is, allow it to expire at 2020, or make a request for a meeting.

From all indications, the AFC has selected the third option, which would allow them to meet with the APNU with the expectation of having the accord reviewed.

The opposition People’s Progressive Party in a statement saw the move by the AFC as a “ploy” to weaken its support base, as it believes there is where the AFC will be campaigning.