APNU leader David Granger says the coalition’s team negotiating an electoral alliance with the AFC is empowered to explore all possibilities and with the talks expected to wrap up within four weeks, it would be premature to say what posts would be allocated to which party if an alliance is cemented.
“At this point we have not reached the level of discussing appointments. We are looking mainly at bringing an end to the damaging 22-year PPP regime. We are looking at establishing a government of national unity and that is our objective,” Granger told the coalition’s weekly news briefing at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition yesterday.
Asked whether APNU would be willing to cede the leadership of any likely alliance to the AFC, Granger said that all possibilities are open and it would be premature to pronounce on the matter. “APNU has empowered its negotiating team to explore all possibilities that could lead to a pre-elections coalition and it would be premature for me to respond to that question because all the matters that seemed to be ventilated in the media presumably will be laid before the negotiating team,” he said, adding that only then would a determination be made.
“The matter has not yet arisen, we have not been advised by our negotiating team. It is possible that whatever is raised during the negotiation will be reported to the two sides and a determination will be made,” he emphasised.
Granger later told Stabroek News that by the time the talks wrap up within four weeks’ time, should the alliance be cemented, all the positions will be determined. The four weeks’ timeline is an “outside” date, he emphasised.
APNU’s negotiating team comprises lead negotiator Carl Greenidge, Joseph Harmon, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, Basil Williams, Dr George Norton, Sydney Allicock and Keith Scott.
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. He had emphasised that the AFC must lead this alliance. Earlier this week, Granger had told Stabroek News that talks will commence before the weekend.
Granger had earlier denied that the opposition was caught off guard by President Donald Ramotar’s announcement of May 11 as the date for General and Regional Elections. APNU’s engagement with the AFC preceded the current talks, he said while recalling several instances including the negotiations that led to AFC co-founder Raphael Trotman being elected Speaker of the National Assembly.
Granger said he is confident of a coalition victory in the upcoming polls. “The PPP/C has damaged their reputation if they ever had one,” the opposition leader asserted. He said APNU would not play a winner takes all game and wants a government to cater to all Guyanese.
Asked about reports that former president Bharrat Jagdeo would return as part of the PPP’s list, Granger said that he would be worried after the “damage” Jagdeo has done to the economy. He listed several projects that have been mired in scandal, such as the specialty hospital.
