THE major Opposition political parties – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), will need another month to iron out details and arrive at a definitive position in relation to any pre-election coalition, to challenge the incumbent People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) at the May 11 General and Regional Elections.

Opposition Leader, Brigadier (rtd) David Granger, yesterday made the disclosure when pressed by the Guyana Chronicle for a timeline for definitive results on the coalition talks with the AFC,

taking into account the fact that the elections are just over three months away.
Granger told media operatives, during APNU’s weekly media engagement, that while the two Opposition forces in the National Assembly had been collaborating on a number of issues over the past three years, it was only in early December at the AFC’s Executive Conference that a proposal was made by the party to form a coalition.
APNU Leader Granger said he is confident that the one month of talks between high-ranking officials of both parties will yield positive results.
“For the last three years, we have said it is our policy to establish a government of national unity and it was our policy to promote inclusionary democracy,” said Granger.

RAMJATTAN ANNOUNCEMENT
According to the APNU Leader, they have always been open to coalition talks, but this never occurred because the PPP/C and the AFC, up to the time of the conference in December last, “never showed interest.”
According to Granger, subsequent to Ramjattan’s announcement, “we agreed to have talks.”
As a result, a seven-member committee has since been established and are being facilitated by way of the two General Secretaries, namely Joseph Harmon of APNU and David Patterson of the AFC.
“The talks could not be started since there was no one to speak with,” Granger said, adding that “the talks only started when the AFC made it clear they were interested and they actually sent a letter with dates inviting us (APNU) to discuss what they call the Pro-Democracy Alliance.”
According to Granger, after the AFC’s position was made clear, the APNU Shadow Cabinet appointed the seven-member team.

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
Representing APNU on the seven-man committee established for the talks between the two Opposition forces are: Carl Greenidge, Basil Williams, Joseph Harmon, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, Dr George Norton, Sydney Allicock and Keith Scott.

According to Granger, the talks by the “Magnificent Seven” will be led by Greenidge.
AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan is adamant that while his party is interested in a pro-democracy coalition, his party will have to ‘lead’ such a movement.

Granger’s reaction is that nothing has been finalised as yet, including the posts of presidential and prime ministerial candidates.

Whilst refusing to say whether APNU would be willing to cede leadership of the coalition to the AFC, Granger told reporters: “APNU has empowered its negotiating team to explore all possibilities that could lead to a pre-election coalition.”

He said that it would be premature to speculate further.
According to Granger, “all the matters that seem to be ventilated in the media presumably will be laid before the negotiating team and only then would a determination be made.”

Pressed further to speculate on likely scenarios whereby the AFC would take over leadership of the coalition, Granger responded: “What I am saying is that the matter has not yet arisen, we have not been advised by our negotiators.”

According to Granger, whatever is proposed and discussed will be analysed by both sides after which a determination would be made.

WPA’s PM SLOT
Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, of the WPA campaigned on the APNU ticket as its prime ministerial candidate and when asked to comment on his position, should the AFC hold fast to securing this slot, Opposition Leader Granger responded by saying an answer to that would be tantamount to pre-judging the discussions being held.

He said that matters such as presidential and prime ministerial candidates were all addressed in a very consensual manner back in 2011, when APNU was birthed, a feat Granger is optimistic could be repeated.
According to Granger, at this point in time we have not reached the level of discussing appointments.
He said the talks currently centre on bringing an end to the PPP/C regime.
“We haven’t worked out the details, the nuts and bolts about who gets what…we expect to conclude negotiations within four weeks,” said Granger.

PREPARED
Asked if the coalition was caught off guard by the President’s announcement, the Opposition leader declined to concede this was the case and pointed out that APNU had launched a campaign for Local Government Elections ever since October 2013.
The Opposition Leader recalled that in November last year, when the President by Proclamation Prorogued Parliament, APNU changed gears from campaigning for local government elections and transitioned to a campaign for general elections.
According to Granger, given all of the likely scenarios at hand, it was a given that general elections became imminent and as such, APNU transitioned its campaign
“We knew what was coming; we didn’t know the date,” said Granger.