–President Ali points to party’s divisive philosophy, failure to promote unity, policies

PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali has questioned the legitimacy of a possible A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, saying it reflects a political agenda that is not based on democratic values or the needs of the Guyanese people.

His remarks come as internal challenges continue to unsettle the opposition camp, further casting doubt on its ability to present a united front.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday, President Ali weighed in on the apparent breakdown of talks between factions within the opposition, asserting that what is unfolding is not coalition politics in its true form.

“It is not coalition politics. It is concentration for politics, bargaining for power; two completely different philosophies,” he said.
Highlighting the track record of the APNU+AFC during their time in office, Dr. Ali warned against the return of individuals and ideologies that had undermined democratic values and national development.

“If you have the same people who tried to rig an election; the same individual who claimed that 32 is greater than 33, the same individuals who tried to steal the will of the people, the same persons who destroyed the country for five years, who sent home sugar workers, who almost shut the rice industry, sent home thousands of bauxite workers, took back the Because We Care cash grant…” he said, trailing off before describing their conduct in even sharper terms.

“If they are the elements of coalition, then what are we talking about? A coalition of incompetence; a coalition of undemocratic forces?”
President Ali further accused elements within the opposition of perpetuating divisive rhetoric, and failing to articulate a vision that reflects the realities and aspirations of a developed Guyana.
“Look at the narrative that some of these collators are talking about; they are speaking about hate, racism, division. They are stuck in the past; they cannot translate what is happening in our country into what is required for the future,” he said.

Dismissing the opposition’s intentions as purely self-serving, the Head of State added:
“What we have here is a run for power; the coalition of convenience. Their only objective is to remove the People’s Progressive Party/Civic from government: not about policies to grow Guyana, expand our horizon, to provide jobs and provide opportunities.”

Criticising what he described as the opposition’s lack of policy direction, President Ali said:
“They cannot come up with a cohesive plan; they cannot come up with a structural strategy that can enable the development, so they will use their propagandistic tools that have no place in our moral society.”
He further pointed to the growing public support for the PPP/C, asserting that the electorate is turning away from the divisiveness of the opposition in favour of forward-looking leadership.
President Ali said that Guyanese are making “a clear analytic decision” based on the PPP/C’s ability to articulate clear strategies and policies.

“And that is why you have so many people moving to the other side of the equation; so many people gravitating to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic,” he said.
In the past weeks, there has been a visible political fragmentation within opposition ranks, as public spats and internal disagreements undermine the image of unity that the APNU+AFC once projected.
Several opposition figures and members of parliament have since endorsed President Ali, and by extension the PPP/C for a second term for the upcoming polls in September.