Guiding documents for the proposed Amerindian-based political party floated by Lenox Shuman, the former Deputy Chairman of the National Toshaos Council, have been drafted with the name currently being finalised.
Shuman recently told Stabroek News that the party’s constitution, code of conduct, and principles on which the party’s membership intends to operate, have been drafted. He said that these will be shared with the membership.
“Now that the instruments have been drafted,” he said, “We will caucus and determine a more definitive launch date.” The launch of the party which had been set for September 28th, was postponed “due to the fact that some of our members wanted these in place before we launch,” he noted. Shuman had previously stated that some people who were interested in the launch had indicated that because they would have been involved in Amerindian Heritage Month activities in their communities on that date, they would not have been able to attend. The new party hopes to attract the votes of indigenous peoples in the 2020 general election.
Meanwhile, the name of the new party is still being decided upon. However, the Guyana United for Transformation and Success (GUTS) party could be the name as it has so far attracted the most votes. “We are yet to finalise the name of the party,” Shuman, however, noted. The former Toshao of St Cuthbert’s Mission shared that some of the names suggested on the social media website, Facebook included Peoples’ National Movement for Change (PNMC), First Peoples Party (FPP), Amerindians Political Party (APP), People’s Congress and Alliance for a New Guyana (PCANG), Homeland Alliance Movement (HAM), Peoples Partnership for Progress and Cohesion (PPPC), The Fed-up-Brigade (FB), Not PNC, Not APNU, Not PPP, Not AFC and Not GAP.
Meanwhile, Shuman said that the steering committee of the soon-to-be launched party was “very troubled” by some of the media reports of irregularities being seen in the process leading up to the local government elections on November 12. “We are concerned that if these issues continue to go unresolved, the 2020 general elections should become even more of a focus for us as a nation,” he said. “We are hopeful that that GECOM will accept their challenges and accept the offer of the UNDP to execute a free, fair and transparent process come 2020,” he added.
