When the AFC submitted a no-confidence motion against the Donald Ramotar government in 2014, the party had calculated that 33 votes in the 65-member National Assembly would be needed for the motion to succeed, according to political commentator Christopher Ram.
Labelling as “illogical” and “dangerous,” a view articulated by attorney Nigel Hughes – a former chairman of the AFC – that 34 votes were needed for the December 21 no-confidence motion against the David Granger administration to be successful, Ram has called on the AFC to reaffirm its acceptance of the results.
Two Fridays ago, former parliamentarian Charrandas Persaud defected from the government benches and supported the PPP/C-sponsored no-confidence motion thus handing the Opposition 33 votes for, as opposed to the APNU+AFC government’s 32 votes against, the motion. While the government initially accepted the results, there is growing debate about the validity of the vote and it is now exploring its legal options.