…Trotman, Imran Khan say one-party government can’t unite Guyana

AMID disagreement over aspects of the ongoing negotiations between the APNU and the AFC, two top members of the Alliance For Change have vowed to stay with the coalition, stressing that one-party government is not good for Guyana.

Chairman and founder of the AFC, Raphael Trotman, in a Facebook post on Wednesday declared: “I am staying with the coalition 110%. This is not whether the AFC can win on its own. The issue is what’s best in the overall national interest and staying in the coalition of parties and personalities and stakeholders is what is best for Guyana at this time.” Trotman said one-party governments cannot unite and move “our nation forward. The AFC has had much to offer in government of national unity and development,” Trotman who is also Minister of Natural Resources said in the post which he ended with the statement: ”My true statement.”

Late last month Trotman had struck a similar tone at a AFC news conference, warning that the electorate could respond negatively to a divided coalition, while stating that it is important for the AFC and its coalition partner – the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) find common ground as it renegotiates the 2015 Cummingsburg Accord ahead of the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Trotman made the point in the presence of AFC’s Vice-Chairman Catherine Hughes and its Executive Member Dominic Gaskin. At the time,Hughes and Gaskin were reporting that the negotiation pertaining to the Cummingsburg Accord had broken down over the appointment of the prime ministerial Candidate. The AFC is maintaining that it must name the prime ministerial candidate, and its nominee, Khemraj Ramjattan, must be accepted. It was during that press conference that the AFC executives indicated that if the matter is not resolved by the time the National Executive Committee meets on November 2, 2019, a decision would have had to be taken on whether or not the AFC will contest the elections as part of the coalition or as an independent party.

“Ultimately, the executive will make that determination, whether or not the AFC goes alone or whether or not it goes as a coalition,” Trotman said, but made it clear that a coalition is the better option. “I don’t see a better alternative to the coalition, quite frankly. So I think compromise has to be found on both sides, and we will find a solution to this, and I am confident about that,” Trotman said.

He said the AFC saw “value” in the coalition in 2015, and today, the ethos and value remain the same. The AFC Chairman said despite the disagreements between the two sides, he believes that matter will be resolved in time. “I believe that in every engagement of this nature you will have moments of disagreement, but I believe that ultimately both parties wish, as I said earlier, and desire a coalition. So the pause for me does give us an occasion to seriously reflect on where we were four or five years ago; and of course to look ahead as to where we want to go and bearing in mind the people’s expectation of us,” Trotman said.
He emphasised that in negotiation, there must be compromise. Referencing the 2018 Local Government Elections, Trotman said based on the results, it was clear that the people were dissatisfied that the APNU and the AFC had contested those elections independently. He warned that to enter the General and Regional Elections as independent parties could be detrimental to both sides. “We are likely to see a reaction that is not in our best interest if we are separate and apart,” he posited.

My convictions have not changed
Imran Khan, a top member of the party and also Director of Public Information said in 2014 when the issue of coalition politics emerged with vigour, he made a commitment that once there was a coalition between the APNU and AFC he will make whatever sacrifice was necessary to return to Guyana immediately. “The Cummingsburg Accord was agreed to and signed on February 14, 2015 and on February 21st, I was in Guyana and did not leave until after the election in May; I believed then in coalition politics. I believed then that we were better together. My convictions have not changed,” Khan stated also in a Facebook post.
“I do hereby declare that I am remaining in the coalition to which I am committed. I shall not be a part of any political wildness, ego trips, personal vendettas, flights of fancy, self-interest agendas or any gamble with the people’s future. I shall not betray the coalition or the people. I am and will be a part of one campaign and one campaign only – the Coalition Campaign.” He said as President David Granger said on Wednesday this is a time for sobriety and for maturity and good sense to prevail in the interest of all Guyana. “We are better together and we must remain together,” Khan said, signing off with the statement,” This is my true statement.”