AFC mulls going solo for LGE

The Alliance For Change (AFC) arm of the coalition administration may contest the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) without the A Partnership for National Unity by its side.

AFC Leader Raphael Trotman told reporters at a press conference Monday, January 15, 2018, that there is an overwhelming call from within the Party for it to contest the elections as an individual unit.

“There is a strong body of opinion within the Party that we should go it alone or there’s another view of us to seek to enter into a new Accord for Local Government because the Cummingsburg Accord is just for national and general elections of 2015,” Mr Trotman said.

The Cummingsburg Accord – the agreement which outlines how the AFC and APNU will operate in a shared governance structure – is silent on how the parties will contest the LGE.

The AFC Leader explained that there is a resounding urge for the political party to maintain its identity and individuality.

“It is about our identity, it is not a case of us not liking our coalition partner but there are people who feel that the AFC was a more grassroots Party,” he stated.

Despite projections that AFC will be dead meat if it goes solo, Trotman argued that the political party has experienced a consistent growth in its membership over the years and that there is no indication that its support has fallen.

He said no date has been set as yet to commence talks on this issue with its coalition partner.

The AFC wanted to review to be completed by February 14, 2018, but Leader of the APNU and President of Guyana, David Granger had explained that the review can only occur after the anniversary.

At the last local government elections in 2016, the AFC contested as a joint unit with the APNU but subsequently raised concerns that the latter party was awarded more seats.