Future of WPA-APNU relation hinges on Coalition meeting

The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) feels that it is being sidelined by the Coalition Government, and is hoping to have this addressed in a frontal manner in the coming month.

At a Press Conference hosted on Monday (June 19, 2017) at the Rodney House in Queenstown, Georgetown, WPA’s Executive Member, Dr. David Hinds says opinions within the party as it relates to the way forward with the Coalition varies.

However, he admitted that some members feel that the party should exit the partnership.

“It ranges from those who feel we should disengage with the Government immediately, in fact we have put off our members meeting over the last year because we were very confident that if we were to hold the members meeting, that there will be a strong opinion among our members for us to disengage from the Government. So there are those who are open to continue working with the Government to those who feel that we have been so disrespected that we should get out of the Government,” he told media operatives.

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is made up of five parties and according to the WPA, other parties have expressed similar sentiments.

A final decision will be made on the way forward, when Coalition parties meet on July 22, for the first time since assuming office.

The Party feels that “much of the discontent and concerns arise out of the failure of the APNU to function.” WPA hopes to further press its case for a deepening of relations and meaningful participation within the APNU and the broader coalition at this meeting.

Dr. Hinds says his party does not want to be the one to “kill” a Coalition since it is one thing it has always fought for.

While acknowledging that the WPA has been silent on a number of “wrong turns” made by the Coalition, he said “the WPA comes out of a different tradition from our partners… We feel there must be a voice in society to critique Governments and critique authority. Therefore, the fact that we are part of Government, in a sense creates a kind of contradiction that we’ve got to work through. We’ve got to balance support for the Government but also support for our tradition, which is one that questions power.”

Dr. Hinds said there is a view held by many leaders that “what you bring to the table is votes, then if you don’t bring votes then you are not important,” something which he disagrees with.

“We know that voting in this country has a lot to do ethnic sentiments and we have never been an ethnic party, in that regard. But we would like to believe that at the level of shaping of public opinion, at the level of ideas…we have contributed immensely to this country in relation to the discussion of ideas…therefore we bring something tangible to the coalition,” he said.

The WPA feels that it can aid in the development of polices for the Sugar, Rice, Social Cohesion and the coming oil economy.

Present at Monday’s Press Conference were Dr. David Hinds, Dr. Wazir Mohammed, Ms. Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, Mr. Tacuma Ogunseye and Mr. Jinnah Rahaman.