‘Together is better’ – APNU, AFC leaders in successful high-level talks

Leaders of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) on Thursday afternoon held high-level talks as they seek to finalise arrangements to contest the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections as a coalition.

Following the meeting which was held with President David Granger at the Ministry of the Presidency, representatives indicated that the talks were successful.

“Excellent – You ain’t see meh smiling,” said Leader of the AFC Khemraj Ramjattan after he exited the meeting.

“We’re going into the elections as a coalition. Together is better,” Ramjattan said.

The General Secretary of the AFC David Patterson will only say that the meeting was “progressive” while Chairman of the PNC Volda Lawrence said, “the coalition has always been strong.”

They promised to issue a joint statement on the outcome of Thursday’s meeting.

The coalition partners have been battling with the revision of the Cummingsburg Accord which cemented their partnership to win the 2015 general and regional elections that unseated the 23-year rule of the People’s Progressive Party.

The AFC has been driving a hard bargain to get a fair deal before it signs on to a renewed accord to contest the March 2 polls with APNU.

They have put forward Ramjattan as the Prime Ministerial Candidate but President Granger had made it clear that any agreement with AFC will be guided by the constitution which states that the President will appoint a Prime Minister.

Mr Granger had also indicated that there are other partners in the APNU who were interested in the PM candidacy. This, however, did not sit well with the AFC, who were adamant that the Cummingsburg Accord was clear on which party gets the post.

The AFC has already declared that if it does not get its way, it is ready to contest the elections alone.