No turning back
Minister of Public Security, the Honourable Khemraj Ramjattan
Minister of Public Security, the Honourable Khemraj Ramjattan

— AFC says Ramjattan is prime ministerial candidate in accordance with Cummingsburg Accord

THE A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) does not have the option, under the Cummingsburg Accord, of rejecting the Alliance For Change’s (AFC) nomination for the prime ministerial candidate for the upcoming General and Regional Elections.

Last Saturday, the AFC endorsed its leader Khemraj Ramjattan to be the prime ministerial candidate to run alongside APNU’s presidential candidate, and that, according to the AFC’s General-Secretary David Patterson, would not change.

Under the Cummingsburg Accord, which brought the two political parties together as a coalition on February 14, 2015, the APNU would nominate a presidential candidate and the AFC, the prime ministerial candidate.

Addressing reporters at the close of the AFC’s National Conference and Elections at St. Paul’s Retreat Centre on Saturday, Patterson said Ramjattan as the prime ministerial candidate is a done deal.

“This is the Alliance For Change. The Alliance For Change is a political party in its own right. The Alliance For Change has made a recommendation, which the Alliance For Change would stick by,” he told reporters.

AFC General-Secretary David Patterson

The AFC general-secretary said the Cummingsburg Accord, which governs the coalition, is clear on what is required. It said, he reiterated, the AFC shall nominate a prime ministerial candidate.
“There is nowhere in that agreement that says nominate a prime ministerial candidate who the coalition accepts or not,” Patterson said.

He also dispelled the notion that the Cummingsburg Accord has expired.
“I am the author of the accord. It is 60 months, 60 months. Each party at the expiration of 36 months has an option to cancel it or not. Therefore, we are duty bound to respect it from month zero to 36, and then from 36 to 60; both sides have the option if they would like to break it, they would indicate, neither party has done that,” Patterson explained. The Cummingsburg Accord will expire on February 14, 2020.

OVERWHELMING
During the conference, which had 275 delegates and 40 observers in attendance, four motions were put to the floor for the AFC to appoint Ramjattan as the prime ministerial candidate for the next general elections – the response was overwhelming. The Guyana Chronicle understands that over 200 delegates, by show of hands, voted in favour of the consolidated motion.

On the sideline of the conference, shortly after he was recommended to be the prime ministerial candidate, Ramjattan told reporters it would appear that the delegates view him as “fit and proper” for the position. He committed to “doing a good job” and addressing issues of job creation and constitutional reform raised by AFC supporters.
Earlier in the conference, Ramjattan assured the delegates that the AFC will contest the upcoming elections alongside its coalition partner – the APNU – as was done in May 2015, which resulted in them being elected to government.

“We are going back as a coalition,” he told them, while underscoring the importance of facing the electorate as a united force that has their interest at heart. “Make a personal commitment to see us through successfully in the next elections,” he further urged the delegates. He also committed to creating employment opportunities for the people of Guyana.

Several executive members of the APNU has endorsed President David Granger to run for a second term in office. “There is no question as to whether he is the candidate. He is competent, he is uncorrupted, he has integrity, his health is improving steadily and he has the interest of Guyana and Guyanese at heart. He is a genuine leader,” a source had said.

A poll conducted in February 2019 by the Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES), shows a majority of Guyanese prefer Granger as the President of Guyana as opposed to People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali

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