–Hughes says, while Norton willing to continue discussions on coalition
DESPITE conflicting views coming from both of the major opposition parties in relation to coalescing, the leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Nigel Hughes, has said that his party has moved on, and will go forward with further preparations for the elections.
Hughes made this clear during his party’s press conference on Friday, when he was asked about keeping the door open for a coalition with the People’s National Congress (PNC).
He said that the prospects or outcomes of further engagements are marginal, and as such, his party is moving on to the election.
“I think the prospects of anything positive coming out of further engagements, the prospects are marginal. We have moved on and we are heading straight to the elections as I’m sure APNU is,” he said.
Meanwhile, earlier on Friday, PNC leader Aubrey Norton, said that they were willing to continue discussions with the AFC.
However, Hughes, during his conference, stated that the suggestion that he is anti-coalition and that it was not his wish to have a coalition is not so.
He told members of the media that since assuming leadership of the party in 2024, subsequent to the expiration of the previous accord between the two parties and further discussions about possibly partnering again, he was prepared to step aside.
Hughes was at the time referring to stepping aside and coalescing with the PNC, and identifying a consensus candidate whom he noted could unite the opposition and take their coalition forward to victory.
“On several occasions, you would have asked my colleague on the other side whether he was interested in a consensus candidate. I believe the consistent answer was no,” he said.
With several names suggested to be said candidate, Hughes maintained that they had not even suggested anyone from the AFC for that spot, but suggested persons like Carl Greenidge, Terrence Campbell, Amanza Walton-Desir and Roysdale Forde.
After that meeting, the Alliance for Change sent a proposal directly to the leadership of that party in which Norton would be the presidential candidate. And that proposal was also rejected because of many things.
Meanwhile, over the past week, three AFC members have defected and crossed over to APNU. These persons are Sherod Duncan, Deonarine Ramsaroop and Juretha Fernandes, with Fernandes floated as that party’s prime ministerial candidate.
Hughes disclosed on Friday that he had not heard from those three persons and had not been afforded the opportunity to inquire from them about their departure.
He further added, “I specifically asked the intermediary, is she being nominated as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the APNU, or is she being nominated as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the coalition?
“And he responded to me, she was being nominated as the prime ministerial candidate in both capacities, both for the APNU and also for the coalition. And I enquired of him, they couldn’t be serious, and he said to me that he was informed that that was a non-negotiable position.”
Hughes went on to note that at one point, they had suggested that the discussions of a presidential candidate should be parked until afterwards, and that discussions should focus on identifying the programme for any coalition.
However, he stated that the negotiators on behalf of APNU had indicated that they only had a single item on the agenda, which was that of a presidential candidate.
“So, I understand people believe that I am the obstacle, quite the contrary. Long before the MoU expired, I was more than happy to step aside, because Guyana is bigger than all of us, and that continues to be my position,” Hughes said.