A Partnership for National Unity yesterday began drafting terms of reference (TOR) for its negotiating team as it prepares for talks with the Alliance For Change (AFC) for the establishment of a pro-democracy alliance against the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
“We met today [yesterday] and it was more or less a reiteration of the APNU’s commitment… We are now drafting the terms of reference for our negotiating team,” Granger told Stabroek News after his meeting with his party’s Shadow Cabinet yesterday.
The APNU leader stressed that the signs are still positive as the proposal made by the AFC is in accordance with his party’s ‘national unity of all peoples’ philosophy.
In early December, AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan had stated that the AFC is prepared to lead a pro-democracy alliance of progressive forces, inclusive of the opposition coalition APNU, to remove the PPP/C government from office.
Ramjattan had also indicated that the “progressive forces” should comprise civic groups, workers’ unions, and political forces, including disaffected PPP leaders and members.
The announcement signalled a major shift in the party’s position on an electoral pact. The AFC leader’s comments also marked a departure from his previous statements in which he had expressed opposition to any coalition with APNU. Among other reasons, AFC members had cited a desire to keep the party’s identity and support base. The AFC subsequently said that it would not release documentation that would form the template for negotiations on its proposed pro-democracy alliance if APNU did not sign a non-disclosure agreement.
It is unclear whether APNU signed any such confidentiality agreement before its recent talks with AFC. According to Granger, the general secretaries of both parties have met twice since the initial proposal was made by AFC.
The PPP is also monitoring the outcome of the talks and its General Secretary Clement Rohee said it was waiting to see what comes of the process.
“We don’t want to anticipate or speculate. Let’s see what comes out of that process. We are building our own alliances; we have always done that prior to 1992 and we are proceeding full speed ahead in that respect,” Rohee had said at a press conference.
“Those two parties have their own conkie to boil; let the conkie continue boiling and let’s see how tasty it will be to each of them,” he added.
Many observers believe that an AFC and APNU coalition could claim office from the incumbent PPP/C, which lost the majority for the first time at the last general elections in 2011, although it retained the presidency.
A source close to the PPP told this newspaper that should the two parties form a coalition the ruling party would be “extremely happy” as both APNU and AFC could, “Kiss the hopes of ever seeing a presidency goodbye.
“Let’s be realistic on their own they stand a chance, I repeat stand a chance, of seeing the same outcome as 2011, but if they decide to join we will have back that majority with a landslide win,” the source said.
