Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan has said that the insistence of its coalition partner – APNU – to have a say in the determination of who occupies the seat of Vice Chair of Region 10, appears to be a “replication” of the 2020 situation in Region Four.
Back in 2020, following the general and regional elections, the AFC was supposed to take up the post of Vice Chair of Region Four as per its agreement with the APNU. However, when the time came for voting for the candidate, the AFC was sidelined and APNU elected its representative – Samuel Sandy.
At an AFC press conference on Friday, Ramjattan said that it is the AFC that should select its candidate for the Region 10 Vice Chair post and APNU should respect that. He added that no party will dictate what the AFC does in regard to its representation.
“…It is an AFC decision as to who we should put and remember we had a problem with Region Four, in which the AFC and the APNU via a written agreement agreed that we are going to select the Vice Chair and we selected Nielson McKenzie and on the day itself, that did not happen.
“It would appear that there is going to be a replication of that here [in Region 10] and so shifting the goalposts to the regional councillors, we find somewhat disappointing and unfortunate, as is being stated in the press. But I’m certain that we could work it out to the extent of getting who we would like to see there as the selected member from the AFC leadership,” Ramjattan told the media.
The post of Vice-Chair for Region became vacant in June of last year when Douglas Gittens died from COVID-19. 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, the 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.
However, Norton’s statement is not sitting well with the AFC.
The vote to elect a Vice Chair was scheduled for August 16 but that has been postponed. At a previous press conference 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.
Earlier this week, Chair of the AFC Cathy Hughes maintained that 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,” she had said.
