-Jagdeo says
THE A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) have proven once again that, for them, self-interest trumps national development, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has pointed out.
He touched on the ongoing talks between the two main opposition parties during a press conference on Thursday at Freedom House, his party’s headquarters.
People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Leader and APNU Chairman Aubrey Norton, on Saturday made it clear that the PNCR would not accept what he deemed as disrespect, given that the PNCR carries “the burden of the work”.
At the time, he was speaking at the PNCR General Council.
Jagdeo highlighted Norton’s statements made at the General Council meeting, and offered no objections except for his bold claim of winning the upcoming General and Regional Elections, which Jagdeo described as “delusional”.
The APNU and AFC, which previously coalesced for the 2015 and 2020 elections, had set a March 31 deadline to finalise an agreement, but, as the deadline passed on Monday, disagreements persisted, and the AFC found itself at the centre of many challenges and contradictions.
On that note, Jagdeo said that the AFC is “pathetic”.
The General Secretary pointed to a statement made by the AFC, in which they outlined their conditions for a coalition.
Some of the conditions included a demand of a 40-60 split of government positions in APNU’s favour, that Hughes is the presidential candidate, and that the presidential candidate’s party should not hold the Leader of the List position, which controls parliamentary appointments and removal.
This, however, stands in contradiction to a comment made by Hughes a few days prior, in which he said he was open to stepping aside for a consensus candidate.
Speaking on how the parties have jumped to discussing how to divide the spoils of office, Jagdeo said: “So, as I said several weeks ago, their preoccupation, their primary concern is splitting spoils; they can’t win the election. They don’t have a pathway to winning the election, but already they’re talking about how they will split up jobs, who will get what, which ministry they will get, who will get top jobs in the government if they win office…”
Jagdeo then said if he were to go into a negotiation to form a coalition with another group of persons, he would start off on a programme that would be hinged on public interest, and how to foster national development. Unlike what the two parties are currently doing.
The General Secretary further stated: “They don’t care about people, and they don’t talk about housing or water or generating external wealth… All they are concerned about is who gets what,” adding: “Every week, it is one thing, you (want to) see what percentage we are going to get, who is going to be the leader.”
The two parties went their separate ways as of December 31, 2022.
The coalition lost power in 2018 following a motion of no-confidence, despite winning the 2015 elections.
When the Cummingsburg Accord, which bonded the parties was modified in 2019, the AFC’s initial 40 per cent ownership stake in the coalition was lowered to 30 per cent.
Furthermore, the party’s dismal political relevance has led critics to say that the party is doomed to fail, if it contests the elections independently.
