After weeks of mixed signals from President David Granger and APNU, it now appears certain that if the coalition government gets back into office, AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan will be the prime minister.
This was emphatically stated by Granger last evening at an APNU+AFC coalition rally at Hopetown, West Berbice. His statement came after a non-committal response yesterday morning when he was asked if Ramjattan would be PM.
“…I reserve the right to choose and nominate a prime ministerial candidate. I will nominate all ministers, including the prime minister, who is my chief minister after the elections,” Granger told reporters at the Ministry of the Presidency.
This triggered a statement shortly after from AFC General Secretary David Patterson declaring that the remarks attributed to Granger were “gratuitous and confusing”, signalling tension between the two coalition partners.
Faced with the prospect of a public row, Granger last night made an unequivocal statement regarding the prime ministerial role. “…Comrades, my friends, Khemraj and I have signed on the dotted lines. Khemraj Ramjattan will be my prime minister,” he declared.
For months, APNU and Granger have been coy about who would be the prime ministerial candidate for the coalition for the March 2nd general and regional elections despite the AFC’s assertion that this question could make or break the coalition deal. The doubts about the prime ministerial candidate were heightened at the launch of the APNU+AFC campaign at D’Urban Park on Friday where Ramjattan spoke as the AFC leader but was not introduced as the prime ministerial candidate. There had been suggestions that APNU wanted a return of incumbent PM, Moses Nagamootoo or one of their own candidates such as the current Minister of State Dawn Hastings-Williams.
Yesterday morning, Granger noted that he has started to campaign with Ramjattan, who has been nominated to be the PM candidate by the AFC. “…it is not a constitutional requirement and I have not named a prime ministerial candidate but I know what I am going to do and my partners…” he said before being interrupted and asked if Ramjattan will be named prime minister after the elections. Granger responded that he knows what he is going to do and “I reserve the right to choose and nominate a prime ministerial candidate. I will nominate all ministers, including the prime minister, who is my chief minister after the elections.”
The AFC swiftly responded to Granger’s comments with Patterson saying that the reported remarks regarding the naming of a prime ministerial candidate are in direct contradiction with provisions of the recently signed Revised Cummingsburg Accord which embodies the agreements between the two political organisations. The revised agreement has not been released to the public.
“The assertion that he will choose and nominate the prime minister after the election is gratuitous and confusing to our supporters and the wider electorate,” Patterson was quoted as saying.
The statement said that the AFC is well aware of the constitutional steps regarding appointments once the election results are known. However, the party said the process “did not change the fundamental agreement” that the AFC names the prime ministerial candidate and that they have named Ramjattan.
“Consequently, the AFC is not confused by the comments, which we notice has subsequently been clarified by the General Secretary of APNU,” the statement said. It added that the party hoped that clarity has been brought to the issue, which was carefully considered and agreed during the Cummingsburg Accord discussions.
Patterson, according to the statement, said that the AFC remains fully committed to the APNU+AFC coalition agreement and “does and is not expecting any further confusion for the remainder of the campaign.”
With a number of questions swirling, Granger, at the rally at Hopetown last evening, finally identified Ramjattan as his running mate. He noted that they are going into new elections but as the same coalition.
“Khemraj and I are going in to win a great victory for Region Five. We are going in together because we are better together, we are stronger together, we are moving forward together,” the president told the rally even as he noted that they have heard from “my Prime Minister Khemraj Ramjattan…”
He said that they have signed on the dotted lines and Ramjattan will be the prime minister.
Granger urged supporters to vote for the coalition. “We can win this thing. We are stronger because we are together,” he said.
