AFC leader Raphael Trotman has denied claims by the party’s former MP Charrandas Persaud that he had written to Trotman urging him to make a statement on comments made by Chairperson of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Volda Lawrence about preferring to hire PNC people.
After defecting from the government benches to help the Opposition PPP/C pass a historic no-confidence motion against the government on Friday night, Persaud told the media that the statements made by Lawrence was one of the driving forces behind his decision to use his vote to support the no-confidence motion. Persaud’s ‘yes’ vote ensured the fall of the APNU+AFC government.
“You take her statement… I am PNC my friends are PNC I will give wuk to PNC and then what did Trotman do as leader? I wrote to him and said we have to make a statement. What did Trotman do as leader of the AFC? He defended Volda Lawrence and then she apologised and Trotman looked as if he was just pissed on by Volda Lawrence and I am taking this as a member of the AFC because I have no say. What about AFC? For Volda it’s not about being Afro or Indian but about being PNC,” Persaud said.
When asked on December 2nd by Stabroek News about Lawrence’s statements, Trotman said in a statement: ““The Chair, I as Leader have known and worked closely with for 25 years has never shown racial or political partisanship, but in fact, has worked tirelessly, as politician and as a minister of government for the betterment of people of all walks of life and all backgrounds”.
He added that the widespread attention the Lawrence statement had attracted was an unnecessary distraction. “We believe that the PNC Chair’s widely reported statements were made in the aftermath of the hotly contested Local Government Elections and have created an unnecessary distraction at this time.”
During a presentation at the Region Four District Conference, held at Congress Place on November 25th, a recording of which has been made public, Lawrence suggested that party officials elected to public offices should show preference to fellow party members in hiring and the award of contracts.
Stabroek News questioned Trotman last night on whether he had received any correspondence from Persaud and what actions were taken.
He said, “Mr Persaud never wrote me any letter of complaint about Volda Lawrence and if there is one, I would like to see it. In fairness to Mr Persaud, if I had received a letter of complaint I would have addressed it.”
Persaud had emphasised on Friday that while he had voted along party lines for three and a half years, his vote for the no-confidence motion was a “conscience” vote. “This is the one time I have a say and I voted with my conscience. The AFC team has disappointed me and I did not work so hard to put them in power so that they can live the good life and mess with the people,” Persaud said before referencing sugar workers and the sugar industry which he claimed government has devastated.
Asked if he had indicated to his party that he would be voting against the motion, Persaud said that he was directed in a meeting to vote ‘no’ but did not respond.
“I did not say anything there. When the vote came in the crowd like a mass vote I did not say no”, he explained.
Persaud, however, noted that his decision was made before the debates saying he could not sleep on Thursday night because he knew it would be a “tough thing”.