The joint opposition met yesterday to analyze options before them on the planned no-confidence motion against the government and agreed on a strategy.

“We are going ahead with it on Monday (but) we don’t want to discuss in detail what we are doing to the press so that government is privy and then they too can counter,” a source close to both opposition parties told Stabroek News last evening.

The source said yesterday’s meeting between the two sides saw them analyzing the possible countermeasures that government might want to take to block the motion being moved on Monday. However both sides remain confident that they will be prepared for “any surprise moves” government makes come Monday.

A key moment at Monday’s sitting will occur when AFC MP Moses Nagamootoo rises to move the motion. Based on President Donald Ramotar’s address to the nation on Tuesday, were the Opposition to proceed with the motion, he would then prorogue or dissolve Parliament. However, it is possible that the AFC could push for a rapid and brief debate of the motion and it would then be left up to the Speaker of the National Assembly to permit or disallow this. In previous statements, the Speaker had suggested that such a motion would require a full debate.

A joint statement from the opposition yesterday stated “The Parliamentary majority parties A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and The Alliance For Change (AFC) met today at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, Hadfield Street, Georgetown. The parties used this opportunity to concretize their position on the ‘No Confidence Motion’.”

Representing APNU were Leader of the Opposition, Brigadier David Granger, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, Basil Williams, Amna Ally, Carl Greenidge, Joseph Harmon, Ronald Bulkan, Winston Felix and Dr. George Norton.

The AFC was represented by its leader Khemraj Ramjattan and executives Nagamootoo, Cathy Hughes, David Patterson and Michael Carrington.