Talks on the proposed pro-democracy alliance for the upcoming elections are focused on a plan of action for what needs to be done and it is also being envisioned that the different partners will be active in their areas of strength.
“We are in talks,” General-Secretary of the AFC David Patterson told Stabroek News yesterday. He said that progress is being made and the process is ongoing with discussions expected to be wrapped up within two weeks by the latest. “We have submitted a full proposal to our partners,” he said.
In early December, AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan 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 even disaffected PPP leaders and members. He had further emphasised that the AFC must lead this alliance.
APNU has identified a negotiating team and talks have begun with the AFC while the AFC has also approached other potential partners including members of civil society and individuals.
Emphasising that the talks are not about a “coalition” but rather an “alliance,” Patterson said yesterday that the question of party identity is not under discussion. He, however, confirmed that should the alliance come to fruition, they will be contesting the election as a single bloc. He said that everyone – the parties, civil society, and individuals- have their area of expertise and it is envisioned that each would operate in areas in which they can best serve the alliance.
What is important for the alliance is what they plan to do and in what period they plan to take these actions, he said, while adding that this is being focused on now and not the question of leadership. “The most important thing is what will be done,” he said. They are working within a framework. “We have some templates set out,” he said while adding that progress is being made and he is optimistic about the talks.
On Friday, APNU Leader David Granger said the coalition’s team negotiating the electoral alliance with the AFC is empowered to explore all possibilities.
“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.
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.
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.
