Jagdeo: Coalition lacks credibility, talks were bound to fail

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Dr Bharrat Jagdeo today contended that the coalition talks between the Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) were bound to collapse.
Speaking to members of the media at his weekly press conference at Freedom House, Dr Jagdeo explained that the two opposition entities were more fixated on what they can gain personally through a coalition rather than what they should do for Guyana.

“The fact that they can’t come up with a consensus candidate is largely because they don’t look at what they want to do for the country… they don’t think about ‘let’s come together and create a programme of what we want to do for the people of this country’. Their only order of business… was about who gets what if they win the government,” Jagdeo noted.
However, he added that despite the recent announcement, the AFC may eventually “run back” to the APNU when they realise their lack of support from the electorate and nothing to offer.

“Nothing they put together will be believable,” Jagdeo said, pointing out that the coalition in the first place has no credibility as a political entity.
Both the AFC and the APNU, he also emphasised, have a history of racism.
AFC Member of Parliament David Patterson, speaking at the party’s press briefing today, confirmed that the coalition talks between AFC and APNU collapsed despite months of negotiation.

“Regrettably, we have despite the best efforts of our negotiating teams been able to arrive at a mutually beneficially arrangement with the APNU. We have communicated our decisions, regrettably so to the APNU and we have also communicated to them that we will proceed with our campaign as the Alliance For Change since time is of the essence,” he said.
However, he said the door is also open should there be a change in this position or circumstances.

The AFC had insisted that party leader Nigel Hughes be the presidential candidate in any coalition with APNU.
The party has also requested 40 per cent representation at all levels of government, with the remaining 60 per cent of positions going to APNU.
Additionally, the AFC has demanded that the presidential candidate nominated shall not be permitted to nominate or occupy the position of Leader of the List.

PNCR leader and head of APNU, Aubrey Norton, while acknowledging the importance of a united opposition, dismissed the idea of Hughes leading a coalition of opposition parties.
“I don’t believe that we should just take the hard work we do and give it to anybody who just flies off a tree top, lands on the ground, and says you must be the presidential candidate,” he had said.
Speaking at his party’s recent General Council meeting, Norton reiterated that APNU is committed to working towards a coalition but emphasised, “We not gon let anybody tek dem eyes and pass we.”

“We are well aware that we are better together, but we are also well aware that we carry the burden of the work. And I want to make this commitment to you—that this party will not allow anybody to ride on your backs. We are prepared to engage and be reasonable, but we are not prepared to bend over backwards,” he affirmed.