‘Greed and Selfishness’: Public reacts to collapse of APNU/AFC Coalition talks

The breakdown in coalition talks between A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) has triggered a wave of public backlash, with many citizens blaming the failure on greed and political self-interest.

The two sides Thursday announced that the talks had collapsed, with the AFC saying it will go into the upcoming general elections on its own and with APNU saying it is willing to re-engage.

Public sentiment quickly surged online following the news.

One commenter, Simone Anderson, did not hold back: “All I can see is greed and selfishness and not thinking about the people that will suffer.”

Another, Elroy Smith, drew on cultural metaphor to criticise the AFC’s role, likening the partnership to a one-sided marriage: “This marriage look like AFC want collect a dowry and live by de girl father tuh!”

The coalition, which once held government office between 2015 and 2020, had been engaged in talks to revive the alliance ahead of the next general elections. However, multiple sources suggest the talks collapsed over disagreements about the allocation of parliamentary seats and ministerial portfolios—issues seen by many as reflective of deeper mistrust and competition for power.

APNU held firm that the presidential candidate should be PNC leader Aubrey Norton, since the PNC is the largest opposition political party and the largest party in APNU. The AFC wanted Nigel Hughes as presidential candidate.

The AFC had demanded a 40% share in any coalition agreement, a move many observers saw as disproportionate given the party’s waning support. Its leader, Hughes, has struggled to garner broad national appeal and has faced early controversies, including scrutiny over his past legal work for ExxonMobil. More recently, Hughes was seen meeting with the Mohamed family—sanctioned by the US government—sparking concerns despite his denial that the encounter was a formal engagement.

In contrast, Norton has been viewed as more grounded in his position and there is every likelihood that Norton will emerge as the coalition’s presidential candidate.

But the public response is less concerned with strategy and more with the sense that ordinary people are being ignored.

“They [the leaders] need to have a serious talk. Don’t let us down,” pleaded Carl Johnson. Others echoed the call for maturity and patriotism. “Put Guyana first—everything will fall in place,” wrote Abdul Somat.

Another commenter, Tirbanie Singh, saw value in the two sides splitting: “Bat alone and get stronger partners and appeal to others with great policies.”