Patterson, Duncan, Hughes secure nominations for AFC leadership
ALLIANCE for Change (AFC) leader, Kemraj Ramjattan, has announced that he will not be returning at the helm of the party amid its dwindling party membership.
Ramjattan, in an invited comment to the Guyana Chronicle on the party’s nomination day proceedings cited ‘old age’ as one of his reasons for not contesting the leadership position at the party’s upcoming ‘national conference’.
“I’m getting on in age; next year I will also be a senior citizen,” Ramjattan said.
However, he noted that he would be ‘present’ in the party as an executive member.
“It is bout time there be succession on to other people. Myself, Shelia holder, Raphael have dominated life at the leadership level and I am certain that [we] will be there to give guidance at the party and also at the level of parliament…”
In the interim, the chairperson of the party, Cathy Hughes, disclosed that nominations have been received for the leadership position of the party, including Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes, Sherod Duncan, and David Patterson.
Hughes has made it known that she will not be vying for the party’s leadership. Nonetheless, she has been put forward as a nominee for the positions of General Secretary and Chairperson.
The party’s Railway Line, Kitty, Georgetown headquarters appeared deserted, which reflected the party’s minimal attendance on what was expected to be a well-attended nominations day.
And when asked about the comparison in support that was publicly shown for their opposition counterpart, the Peoples National Congress (PNC), Huges, said: “You’re comparing chalk and cheese…The PNC is a much larger party, it has close to 3000 delegates …we have 300 delegates….”
The party will host its national conference in the next few weeks; members will vote for a leader of the party and other executive members.
Earlier this week, the PNC held its nominations day. The party’s current leader, Aubrey Norton, secured the most nominations. But this was challenged by the party’s own members, who publicly criticised his leadership and even publicly exposed a number of infractions that have occurred under his watch.
Amanza Walton- Desir, Roysdale Forde, Volda Lawrence, Gary Best, Carl Greenidge, Simona Broomes, were also among the candidates nominated for the party’s leadership.
Only recently, the AFC attempted to recreate its image from that of its former coalition party, A partnership for National Unity (APNU/PNC); however, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, flagged the party for “lack of credibility” and “poor” track record.
“The AFC has long lost credibility,” the PPP General Secretary said, adding that although the party promised to change Guyana’s political sphere, its brief stint in office proved otherwise. The AFC turned out to be the most unprincipled set of leaders we’ve ever seen… They were more vocal than some PNC persons in trying to rig the elections,” Jagdeo said.
The people, in 2020, went to the polls and peacefully gave a mandate to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to govern.
Guyanese, after casting their votes, had to endure a five-month wait for the results of the General and Regional Elections as they witnessed suspicious and questionable acts and a slew of legal challenges.
During this time, the patience of the electorate was tested, as electors observed what was described as attempts by the then A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)+AFC administration to rip the democratic fabric of the nation, with “delay tactics” which were openly criticised by a wide section of society.
It was only after the legal challenges and international intervention that a national recount of all votes cast was convened and the figures showed that PPP/C received 233,336 votes, while the APNU+AFC Coalition got 217,920 votes.
