THE Guyana Action Party (GAP), one of the smaller parties in the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition, has launched a Regional Executive Committee in the mining town of Linden, as its membership would have soared within months.
The committee has 13 executive members, led by its chairman Kevon Lorrimer. Lorrimer noted that the entire membership of the party stands at about 110 persons in Linden. Some of these were PPP members who left the party, citing discrimination and verbal abuse.

The mandate of the party is to forge ties with the other members of the coalition government, to create a stronger presence in the Town, ensuring that a landslide victory is achieved at the next regional and general elections. “We are all working towards one common goal and therefore we are looking to work closely with the APNU and AFC to achieve this goal of development and empowerment for residents,” Lorrimer noted.

While GAP was formed out of Lethem and one of its founders being Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock, Lorrimer said that the interest of the party does not solely lie with representing Indigenous Peoples, but also residents of Linden and Guyana at large. “Therefore the party would have divided its team to work in the Indigenous communities on the outskirts of Linden and in communities in Linden. They will be prioritising in youth and community empowerment. We are not about promises, we are about delivering, we have an agenda and we will be working towards achieving this agenda,” Lorrimer said.

Relative to the current political climate in Guyana, Lorrimer says that GAP stands in solidarity with the government and President Granger, whom he says, will remain president, until another president is sworn in. “The government still has its duties, the government still has a national budget to deliver, which was passed in the National Assembly by both the government and the opposition. The President stated clearly that GECOM has to advise him on its readiness before elections are called and we are standing firm with the coalition government on this and that is to follow the right procedure for free and fair elections, which is house to house registration,” he posited.

Regional Chairman of the PNCR, Region Ten Chapter, Jermaine Figueira said that GAP is welcomed to collaborate with the PNC and the work begins in campaigning to ensure a landslide victory at the upcoming elections. “We in this community respect the constitution which provides for any person or group of persons to form a political party to participate in the democratic process of an election. GAP is a friend of the PNCR in this coalition family that forms the government. They are welcome and we will work together to ensure that we win these upcoming regional and national elections under the leadership of David Granger for the benefit of all Guyanese.”

Similar sentiments were echoed by AFC Region Ten Member of Parliament Audwin Rutherford who said that GAP is also welcomed and he has been calling for the presence of not only GAP but the other members of the APNU, when meeting with the AFC, which includes members of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA). GAP’s launching he said, is a statement that the coalition is stronger when each and every party is involved. “That is why it is a coalition,” he said.