Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman was yesterday returned as Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC), just barely clinching victory over the incumbent, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan by two votes at the party’s 5th Biennial National Conference.
Marlon WilliamsThe party said Trotman was declared the winner with 127 votes, while Ramjattan amassed 125 votes after ballots were tallied at the Vreed-en-Hoop Primary School, West Bank Demerara, Region 3. There were four spoilt ballots.
President David Granger last evening congratulated Trotman. In a statement released by the Ministry of Presidency, Granger said that he along with the partners of APNU, with which the AFC formed a successful elections coalition in 2015, look forward to working very closely with Trotman and the new leadership of the AFC to achieve a better life for all Guyanese.
He also took the opportunity to recommit APNU to the Cummingsburg Accord, which is the basis for the partnership with the AFC.
Trotman is now a three-time leader of the party, which he co-founded in 2005 together with Ramjattan and the late Sheila Holder. He was first elected unopposed in 2007 and then again in 2009. He did not seek re-election in 2012 as he was serving as Speaker of the National Assembly at the time and thought it “responsible” to not take part in the election.
Two weeks ago, Trotman told this newspaper that he would be accepting nominations to be party leader and would consider it an honour to serve in the capacity once more.
Ramjattan last week had expressed confidence that he would come out victorious. “Oh yeah, I did all right at the Region Four nomination. I won Trotman and I think I am getting nominations from all the various regions,” he had said when asked if he was confident that he would win the leadership post again.
The two were left to vie for the post of leader after Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who was also nominated, withdrew. Nagamootoo also declined to contest for the posts of Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, for which he was also nominated.
The AFC, in a statement issued after the polls, announced that Ramjattan was declared Chairperson after Trotman won the election for leader and Cathy Hughes withdrew her candidacy. The three were the only nominees for the position. Ramjattan has previously served as Chair-person during Trotman’s previous stints as leader.
With regard to the Vice-Chairperson post, Hughes won by a wide margin. According to the statement, she was declared the winner, having received 116 votes over Valerie Garrido-Lowe with 76 votes and Audwin Rutherford with 47 votes. There were four spoilt ballots.
Marlon Williams won the General Secretary position over the incumbent, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson. Williams, at the end of the tallying of the ballots, received 125 votes, Patterson 83 votes and Michael Carrington 12 votes. There were two spoilt ballots.
Meanwhile, the statement said that the results of the election for members of National Executive Committee (NEC) will be announced subsequently once the voting and counting process are completed.
The Returning Officer was Clayton Hall.
‘Democracy won’
Meanwhile, both Hughes and Williams last evening expressed satisfaction with the elections process and the outcome. Both are newcomers to the AFC leadership.
Hughes, who formerly served on the NEC, told Sunday Stabroek that the election was a very competitive and democratic process. “I am extremely happy with the results. Everyone came ready and willing to serve and to work together to renew the principles of the AFC and to enhance our plans for the future,” she said, while adding that it has been recognised that in the current political landscape the party had an even bigger role to play.
Hughes pointed out that the turnout of members and delegates was incredible. She noted that the voting process was “extremely smooth and it made me proud of how our party has matured.”
She said that she believes that unity is very important for the party and pointed out that the contest for leader was reflective of maturity and democracy within the party. “Trotman came out with literally two votes difference and I was more than happy to step aside… we have founding members in leadership positions of the party,” she said, while adding that she was happy with her own personal success.
“I am happy that I was successful. For me, they put a lot of confidence in me and they expect me to deliver. We [the party] have a lot of ground to cover… and we will be ready for [elections] 2020,” she said, referring to the year of the next general elections.
She also said she was proud that there are women at the helm of the party. “I think the perspective and view that they bring to any table is vital to the overall development of our party and on a national level. Women definitely think differently and have a greater contribution to make,” she added.
Williams, in an invited comment, told Sunday Stabroek that throughout the entire process “democracy won. That won the day. It was an amazing and flawless process.” He described the voting as being “very fluent.”
“We are all happy with outcome and it shows a strength in democracy,” he added.
Asked if he was surprised at his success over Patterson, he made it clear that it was not who won that is necessarily important but that AFC will move ahead with its plan to take Guyana in new and positive directions. He also expressed satisfaction with the turnout of the youth at the conference.
“I got a lot of youth support and I am highly appreciative of that. Youths are ready and willing to engage to take Guyana forward… I grew up hearing Guyana has potential. I want to show my children that it does and that can only be done by engaging the process and playing your part in this cycle of getting Guyana forward. This is why I won. Guyana won and democracy won,” he said.
Williams informed that he has done a lot of work in the field of marketing and was previously Brand Manager for Western Union here in Guyana. Williams, who conceptualised the AFC logo, is currently a business consultant and real estate agent. He described himself as a “passionate advocate” of the AFC.
