As the deadlock continues between coalition partners APNU and AFC over the selection of a candidate to fill the post of Vice Chair of Region 10, Chair of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Cathy Hughes is maintaining that the party is independent and that the APNU has no role to play in its selection of representatives.
That position was communicated during a telephone interview with the Stabroek News yesterday.
The post of Vice-Chair for Region became vacant in June of last year when Douglas Gittens died from COVID-19. The vacant position was handed to the AFC after the APNU broke its deal and appointed its own candidate for Vice Chair of Region Four.
AFC has identified Coretta Braithwaite as the nominee for the post but that has been attracting some controversy within the coalition.
At his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Leader of the Opposition and the APNU Aubrey Norton said that the matter is being discussed with the APNU constituents in Region 10 and he has already provided them with political guidance. He added that the making of the final decision has to be a consultative process, with the candidate being acceptable to both parties.
“[it is] not whether it’s an AFC Vice Chairman [or not] but as far as I know, the APNU has been disposed to an AFC Vice Chair but it must not be somebody that is dictated by the AFC [and] who doesn’t have the confidence of the APNU since they have to work together. In fact, if they [AFC] want to be honest, there is an AFC name that there is reasonable agreement on [and] that could move forward,” Norton said.
When asked to name that person, Norton refused to answer.
“The people are doing their internal negotiations and discussing amongst themselves. I don’t believe it is right for me to go say this is the person or this is not the person. The people who are involved at the regional level, they know what to do and they will do what needs to be done,” he added.
Yesterday, Hughes told Stabroek News that the AFC’s position on the issue remains the same and there are no intentions to change that at this time.
“The AFC is an independent political party. We have our own systems. We have our own mechanisms for arriving at representatives that serve in our parliamentary system and serve as councillors that serve in the RDCs and NDCs. We went through our process and selected Coretta Braithwaite to hold that position.
“The fact that never ever in our discussion was it decided/recommended that any regional body or the Regional Council itself would actually be part of the selection process. The AFC absolutely has always respected APNU’s right to select the persons they see fit to represent them in any position any official position. Similarly, we expect that the same right lies with our party and therefore only the AFC can select who it considers the best candidate to serve in a position that is deemed to be filled by a member or a representative from the Alliance For Change…they’re [APNU] not part of that decision-making process. Similarly, we have not been part of any kind of choosing on the part of APNU of any of their representatives,” Hughes explained.
She added that the AFC is not prepared to accept that any political party has a role to play in its choice to represent the party. She said that the AFC Councillors in Region 10 met and they came up with a recommendation which was ratified by the National Executive Committee and should be respected as the choice of the party.
“That’s it in a nutshell, we’ve not changed our position. It [the discussion] is a position of deadlock. On a matter of principle, we don’t think that we can or we are prepared to change the person that we have selected. It is a candidate that has been part of the AFC for many years, who is a hard worker and a strong supporter and there’s no reason why we would put into position somebody that we felt could not competently deliver on what’s required in such a position.
“I know that meeting [to vote on the Vice Chair] has been postponed yet again but we will respond and act as things unfold. We hope good sense will prevail. But like I said we will have to respond when the vote takes place and things transpire,” the AFC Chair highlighted.
The vote to elect a Vice Chair was scheduled for August 16 but that has been postponed. At a previous press conference AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan warned that there will be some “consequences” should the APNU not follow through and vote in favour of Braithwaite’s ascension to Vice Chairmanship.
