PNCR presidential candidate David Granger joined the ongoing discussions within the Joint Opposition Political Parties (JOPP) on Wednesday night, as the parties and other civic groups explore a partnership for the general elections this year.
“There is nothing definitive to report,” GAP/ROAR Parliamentarian Everall Franklin said yesterday, while noting that JOPP continues to expand discussions with other stakeholders. He said the meetings are ongoing.
The JOPP is still canvassing opinions, Franklin added, while pointing out that they are working on regular meetings to advance the business of the harmonising a broad opposition coalition.
The next step for the coalition involves looking at the terms or reference for a working group, which would advance the programme of the JOPP, which includes the PNCR, GAP, WPA and the NFA. The parties have been pursuing a broad coalition since last July.
Stabroek News was informed that leader of the People’s Partnership Peter Ramsaroop also joined the discussions on Wednesday night. He confirmed his participation, when contacted, while saying that he supports a broad coalition. “We would like to see it happen, but we have to ensure that the coming together is not one of the ‘same old, same old’ because that has not worked in the past,” Ramsaroop said. He said the vision has to be not only a change of government but a change in the policies.
The Alliance for Change (AFC) has reiterated its position not to ally with the PNCR. The party’s presidential candidate Khemraj Ramjattan recently told newspaper that an alliance with either the PNCR or the PPP/C is “still a no-go.”
The JOPP is yet to identify a candidate to lead the coalition, but Granger has already plugged his readiness to lead, saying members of the JOPP would need to outline the conditions, which could result in him surrendering the presidential candidate post.
