Berbicians sceptical about AFC/PNC coalition

Presidential Candidate of the AFC, Moses Nagamootoo

…but parties forging ahead regardless

By Andrew Carmichael

With the announcement by President Donald Ramotar that general and regional elections will be held on May 11, Berbicians, many of whom supported the minority, Alliance For Change (AFC) at the 2011 polls have rejected the proposal for a coalition between that party and A Partnership For National Unity (APNU).

At a public meeting on the Corentyne last Saturday, Presidential Candidate of the AFC, Moses Nagamootoo said the only way the current administration would be removed from power at the upcoming elections was if a “united force” was formed as was done in Sri Lanka recently. “The only way to bring change is for all the forces to come together from all the political parties… and that is the only solution I have today. He told Berbicians that a “poll” that was allegedly conducted by the PPP/C shows that if elections are held tomorrow the incumbent will get 35 percentages out of the votes only. The ruling party’s support, he said, has fallen from 57 per cent in 1992, 53 per cent in 1997, 48 per cent in 2011 and now only 35 per cent of the electorate want them in power. “And, therefore, any political campaign must be that only a united Opposition will be able to defeat the current Government.”

However, prominent opposition supporter, Carol Sinclair of Region Five (Mahaica/ West Berbice) said that what the AFC is now coming with is what the PNC has been saying since during its 2011 campaign. “APNU has been proposing inclusive government…” Sinclair said the parties are still taking and “I don’t want to say anything that would jeopardise the talks… but my personal view is that the way the AFC is going about it as though they are the boss and we, I mean APNU is just following is not right. They have to hold a big congress between the two parties and let members from both sides vote on it… if they don’t do that I don’t see it working because after the elections there will be problems…”

Ann Benjamin of New Amsterdam believes that the “idea has to be studied very carefully.” Benjamin said many of the AFC supporters are from the PPP “and like me I don’t want the party to tie itself to the PNC or APNU as they call it. I know that APNU has greater support than us and so if that happens I will be voting for the PPP. They haven’t asked us what we think. Some of us students were discussing the issue and some are not pleased with it. And this is mainly because we are not being told anything as to how it will work,” Benjamin said.

Godwin Allicock of Rose hall Town an APNU supporter said while he agrees with the formation of a coalition he does not believe in the “secret talks” arrangements that have been proposed. “Because they need to let us know where we as voters stand because we don’t want a last minute thing. If they do that maybe some voters will say that they are not informed and they don’t trust them. When I say them I mean both the AFC and APNU.”

Recently-inaugurated consultant of the AFC and literature scholar, Professor Daizal Samad had told this newspaper that while talks between the AFC and APNU should take place, he did not believe they would be fruitful.  Samad said there was no harm in the two parties engaging in talks to form a coalition, but he did not foresee such a coalition coming to be. APNU Leader David Granger has already said that the prospects for talks between the AFC and APNU were good. Granger has also been quoted in another section of the media saying that the parties have identified their negotiation representatives and will have their meeting shortly.

The proposal for a pro-democracy coalition between the two parties was first floated at the AFC’s   Biennial Convention last year where re-elected leader Khemraj Ramjattan, announced that the party was willing to lead a broad pro-democracy coalition inclusive of the APNU to remove the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) from Government. He said, “The AFC is ready to enter, if necessary, into negotiations and to lead a pro-democracy alliance of progressive forces that is comprised of civic groups, workers’ unions, political forces – and by political forces here we are talking about even PPP/C members who have been disenchanted with the performance of the PPP/C thus far and even APNU.” This was volte face from Ramjattan’s previous statement that the “AFC would be dead meat” if they coalesced with the APNU.

However, one day later sidelined People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) member Aubrey Norton said he did not support the move by the AFC to form any deal with the APNU in establishing a broad national alliance for the upcoming elections. He stressed that the two main political parties must rid the country of the PPP/C Administration. “The issue at hand is beating the PPP/C and getting rid of the PPP/C and the best approach to beating the PPP/C, in my opinion, the APNU has to continue to do its work in its constituency and the AFC has to continue doing its work with the aim of garnering more votes that were traditionally PPP/C,” Norton had told a small forum held at the Chritchlow Labour College.