Dear Editor,
I really would have preferred not to have to comment on a letter penned by Dr Joey Jagan on what he terms the AFC’s ambitions which destroyed the “fabric of the third force,” but as Leader of the AFC, feel constrained and compelled to correct the massive inaccuracies that appeared therein (‘Corbin could not break up a coalition that he was never a part of in the first place’ SN, April 8).
After reviewing my own notes, including some audio recordings, and obtaining the benefit of the recollections of others present during the very brief encounters between the AFC and other parties comprising the Guyana Third Force (GTF), I wish to state the following:
1. The AFC formed itself into a party on October 29, 2005. Prior to this there had been one meeting only held at a city hotel and there was absolutely no discussion or injunction placed on the AFC not to name its presidential and prime ministerial candidates. In fact, at that time several parties, including, Dr Jagan’s Unity Party had already declared their presidential candidates. Perhaps Dr Jagan, having already named himself presidential candidate of the Unity Party should say whether it was he who was personally aggrieved by our decision.
2. After the AFC’s formation in October, 2005 a few meetings were held to explore the possibility of us coming together, and the thorny issue which affected our discussions was not the naming of the presidential candidate, but rather the retention of the parliamentary seats by the AFC’s principals.
3. In December, 2005 the Guyana Third Force (GTF) was launched as was revealed in the Sunday Stabroek of December 11, 2005 in a front-page article under the caption: ‘We will hit the ground running/ Guyana Third Force to present programme in a month.’
4. The announced leaders of the Guyana Third Force were (according to the photograph which accompanied the Stabroek News story: Dr Joey Jagan of the Unity party; Dr Clive Thomas of the WPA; Peter Ramsaroop of Vision Guyana; Ravi Dev of ROAR and Paul Hardy of GAP. There was no sign or mention of anyone from the AFC.
5. The AFC was never a part of the “third force” and therefore the ridiculous accusation that “it was sheer ambition on the part of the AFC which destroyed the fabric of the third force…” should be withdrawn forthwith.
6. Meetings were held to have the AFC join the GTF, but through a fortuitous combination of fate and circumstance, this never happened.
7. At no time in any meetings at which I, and others, represented the AFC was there any formal objection raised about the AFC naming its presidential candidate.
8. In January, 2006 at a meeting of the GTF and the AFC, the AFC delegation was informed that the GTF needed time to work out some internal matters, and that we would be contacted about the resumption of the meetings.
9. The meetings were never resumed but it became public knowledge that there were internal issues which were affecting the working of the “Third Force Platform.” (See Stabroek News of January 26, 2006 on the withdrawal of GAP from the GTF.)
10. The AFC had not joined the “Third Force Platform” and therefore could never be responsible for its collapse. Perhaps Dr Jagan should say something about the reason why only Mr Keith Scott and his party ended up as part of the 1-Guyana arrangement in the very last days before Nomination Day.
In the interest of maintaining harmony, respectful relations, and the achievement of consensus amongst members of the divergent opposition forces I am respectfully asking Dr Jagan to train his guns elsewhere as this new found pastime of his will go awry and boomerang, thus not only causing further injury and embarrassment to himself, but defeating the very objective that he claims to seek.
Yours faithfully,
Raphael Trotman