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FM
Former Member

APNU, AFC talks stall over prime ministerial candidate

From left are Dominic Gaskin, Cathy Hughes, Sherod Duncan and Raphael Trotman
From left are Dominic Gaskin, Cathy Hughes, Sherod Duncan and Raphael Trotman

Talks between A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) have stalled following the former’s apparent unwillingness to accept Khemraj Ramjattan as the coalition’s 2020 Prime Ministerial (PM) candidate.

 

Speaking at press conference today, AFC Treasurer Dominic Gaskin explained that the naming of the Presidential and PM candidates by the APNU and AFC respectively remains a “fundamental and non-negotiable tenet” of the coalition.

“The AFC has advised the APNU that it cannot proceed with any further discussions until this matter is resolved. The AFC finds it unacceptable that the matter of the Presidential and Prime Ministerial candidates has been repeatedly deferred”, he told reporters this morning.

The AFC had selected Ramjattan as its prime ministerial candidate following a bruising internal battle but it was later made clear by APNU that this was not a done deal.

 

According to Gaskin at its National Executive Committee meeting on November 2nd the party will decide on its mode of participation in the upcoming General and Regional Elections.

The AFC’s February 14, 2015 accord with APNU was seen as the key factor in the defeat of the PPP/C at the May 2015 general elections.

The key features of the Accord were that the AFC would have the prime ministerial position in the government and 12 seats in Parliament.

However there have been grumblings from hardliners within APNU – particularly its main component, the PNCR – that the AFC had gotten disproportionately high benefits from the Accord and that this had to be reeled in.

 

Meanwhile the AFC had also been unhappy with its allocation of seats at the historic 2016 LGE and had pressed at various points for an adjustment in this area. Matters came to a head at the 2018 LGE when APNU threw down the gauntlet and had the AFC contest the polls on its own in an apparent bid to have it show its real worth.

The poor showing of the AFC in the local government elections and its stance on a range of matters have been seen as diminishing its national standing and APNU hardliners have calculated that it will bring no electoral advantage to the coalition in 2020 and therefore the coalition should look elsewhere for a prime ministerial candidate.

It has been suggested that Minister of State Dawn Hastings-Williams is among the candidates being considered.

On August 12 this year, APNU and the AFC agreed that their ground-breaking Cummingsburg Accord should be revised and that this process could be completed within four weeks.

 

The AFC is led by the General Secretary David Patterson and includes National Executive members Dominic Gaskin and Dr. Vincent Adams. The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) team is led by their General Secretary Joseph Harmon.

https://www.stabroeknews.com/2...nisterial-candidate/

 

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Prime-Minister

We would like to thank our supporters for allowing us to con them. Now we getting a size 10 and 12 where the sun doesn't shine.

Our comrade leader Trotty outfoxed us. The knives in our backs hurt very badly.

We feel like that party which Burnham used and abused to get into power. If only we could have listened to warnings from people like Sean !

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It’s Ramjattan as PM candidate or no Coalition – AFC

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The Alliance for Change (AFC) on Thursday saidKhemraj Ramjattan must be the Prime Ministerial Candidate or there will be no coalition with the multi-party APNU for the March 02, 2020 polls.

“We’re already on record as saying it’s a non-negotiable for us; it’s the basis on which we will enter into any coalition,” said Dominic Gaskin, who serves as the AFC’s Treasurer and a member of its negotiating team with APNU.

Gaskin announced that the AFC has withdrawn from talks with its governing coalition partner, saying it has been pushing back discussions on the selection of a Prime Ministerial Candidate.

“The AFC has advised APNU that it cannot proceed with any further discussions unless and until this matter is resolved,” Gaskin stated.

“The AFC finds it unacceptable that the matter of the Presidential and Prime Ministerial candidates has been repeatedly deferred,” he added.

Dominic Gaskin

In their Valentine’s Day agreement in 2015, the APNU+AFC agreed that APNU would choose a Presidential Candidate and the AFC the Prime Ministerial Candidate and they sealed that deal with the so-called Cummingsburg Accord.

The Accord still exists and the two teams are negotiating an enhanced agreement.

Gaskin said that the AFC’s prerogative to choose the Prime Ministerial Candidate was a prerequisite for entering in a Coalition with APNU and he was unclear “on what basis” APNU kept deferring the matter.

At its recent party conference, the AFC decided that it will replace Moses Nagamootoo and have current third Vice President Ramjattan as the Prime Ministerial Candidate, and there will be no change in that position.

“We have already made a decision…we don’t accept that any other entity or any other party shall tell us or dictate to us who we should choose as our Prime Ministerial candidate.

“We are an independent party; we have made a choice. Why should we revisit that decision?”

Gaskin was asked about the argument that it is the President’s constitutional duty to appoint a Prime Minister. Gaskin says he sees no clash with the constitution if there is an agreement before the elections on who the President will appoint. That’s what happened in 2015.

“We did it before, it worked, (there) were no complaints,” Gaskin declared.

Cathy Hughes

Given the stalemate, the AFC’s National Executive Committee will meet on November 2 and Gaskin said “definitive” and “clear” decisions will have to be made on how the party proceeds ahead of the March 2020 elections.

Party Vice-Chairman Cathy Hughes in a statement trumped up the AFC’s success as a third party and said it did pursue one of its key pillars – constitutional reform – but did not get very far with it.

She said after the Prime Minister received a report from a committee he had convened to advise on the way forward “his further attempts were either obstructed or resisted.”

Hughes again resisted suggestions that the AFC is dead.

“The Alliance for Change is a party of principle, committed to fundamental transformation of Guyanese society, which includes healing and reconciliation, an end to racial voting, winner-takes-all politics and constitutional reform is a priority which we have preached since our formation in 2006,” she stated.

Party chairman Raphael Trotman says neither the AFC nor the APNU would like the results of the elections if they choose to go separate ways, but he is hoping for compromise, saying in negotiations there is always room for compromise.

At the moment, it is unclear how the deadlock between AFC and APNU will be broken.

FM

Dem bais are having a field day. I just spoke with a high level official and they are saying that this will be a very nasty one for the AFC. It was only a matter of time. The PNC serpent rose its ugly head.

Burnham is back from the dead ! History is repeating itself.

I pray that Moses can handle this given his poor health.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Sean posted:

Prime-Minister

We would like to thank our supporters for allowing us to con them. Now we getting a size 10 and 12 where the sun doesn't shine.

Our comrade leader Trotty outfoxed us. The knives in our backs hurt very badly.

We feel like that party which Burnham used and abused to get into power. If only we could have listened to warnings from people like Sean !

There is still hope.  They can join the FEDUP Party.

Billy Ram Balgobin

OR they can also join the ANUS party !

Or they can team up back with Gerhard and form the PNC PART THREE !

Gerhard jumped ship just in time !

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Dave posted:

It’s Ramjattan as PM candidate or no Coalition – AFC

Party Vice-Chairman Cathy Hughes in a statement trumped up the AFC’s success as a third party and said it did pursue one of its key pillars – constitutional reform – but did not get very far with it.

She said after the Prime Minister received a report from a committee he had convened to advise on the way forward “his further attempts were either obstructed or resisted.”

Hughes again resisted suggestions that the AFC is dead.

Perhaps dem AFC is slow, s-l-o-w, S--L--O--W to understand that dey ah dead, dead, dead an' ah nuffin', nada, etc., to dee PNC.

FM

After the 1964 elections Burnham never sought any kind of alliance with any party in contesting elections. He just rig and give his party a majority. I see the same thing happening again.  APNU will play hardball with the AFC since they don't see a need for a coalition.  

Billy Ram Balgobin

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Alleged statement from Charran:

Good for the two Neemakharams Moses and Ramjattan ! Now they know what betrayal feels like. Dem rass tried to framed me up and lied about me. 

Karma is a Bytch ! Tek dat you two scamps ! Hope it fees good with your size 10 and 12 up where the sun doesn't shine !

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I turning in me grave.

Burnham did it to me and now Granger did it to Moses. They should have known better when Granger honoured Burnham when he first took over.

Anyway, Moses and I will go down in history for screwing Indo Guyanese, twice !

I have to admit that Jagdeo was correct in kicking out Moses from the PPP. I owe Jagdeo a big apology.

I hope Joey ketch sense now ! Me own family tried to destroy me party.

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Last edited by Former Member
Nehru posted:

There is not a more shameless SOB on this planet than them!!

True bai. The emperor has no clothes. 

Despite all the warnings, these two clowns sold out the people of Guyana.

FM
Nehru posted:

The Neemakaram Crabdaag wore a green shirt alerting Gadaha that he is ready , able and willing to wipe ass and wash batty!!

You always have the highest praises and words for them, bhai Nehru.

FM

My sources have no such info.

PNC has one of their own as PM candidate. The article above actually mentions his name. 

It is in PNC’s interest to resolve this sooner than later. This could become nasty and they should not allow their dirty laundry to be dragged into public. 

These PNC chaps are prappa stupidy. 

 

 

FM

Listen you knuckleheads....for all of you jumping for joy that there is a crack in the coalition, you should know this is all political positioning and part of the negotiations.

If none ask me, I would stick with Moses, or better yet, the Amerindian lady, which is where I think our President is leaning. 

V
VishMahabir posted:

Listen you knuckleheads....for all of you jumping for joy that there is a crack in the coalition, you should know this is all political positioning and part of the negotiations.

If none ask me, I would stick with Moses, or better yet, the Amerindian lady, which is where I think our President is leaning. 



Yo Skont Hole Camouflage antiman claim to be US student and now you’re saying “ our president “  .. haul yo mangee black Arss . 

 

FM

The Coalition is over.  AFC should hold their own as a party and have Ramjattan run as the Presidential candidate.  If we have four parties with seats in Parliament we can finally have real democracy and the AFC would have contributed something of value to Guyana.

Bibi Haniffa
Bibi Haniffa posted:

The Coalition is over.  AFC should hold their own as a party and have Ramjattan run as the Presidential candidate.  If we have four parties with seats in Parliament we can finally have real democracy and the AFC would have contributed something of value to Guyana.

Bibi actually talking like a rational (female?) person and less like a deranged ethnic soldier . . . hmmmm?

FM

AFC hints at leaving Coalition after talks breakdown

The Alliance For Change (AFC) Thursday hinted strongly at the possibility of leaving the coalition with the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) after talks regarding their Prime Ministerial candidate reached a stalemate.

The AFC has made it clear that their Leader Khemraj Ramjattan should be the Prime Ministerial candidate. However, their partner, the APNU, prefers someone else as President David Granger’s running mate.

Both parties were in talks over the revision of the Cummingsburg Accord including the selection of a Prime Ministerial candidate. However, those talks have since been stalled owing to both sides refusing to budge on their positions.

“We don’t accept that any other party should tell us or dictate to us who we should choose as our Prime Ministerial candidate. Why should we go back to our membership to say let’s have another discussion…on what basis?” Dominic Gaskin contended during a press conference today.

“The AFC should name the Prime Ministerial candidate and the APNU should name the Presidential candidate…It’s non-negotiable for us,” Gaskin posited.

Moreover, party executives gave strong hints about the possibility of leaving the coalition if Ramjattan is not accepted at the Prime Ministerial candidate.

“We are the Alliance for Change and I think we have always said that we are here to form alliances for the benefit of Guyana. So, we have no inherent opposition to forming alliances with anyone,” Gaskin said.

K
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

After the 1964 elections Burnham never sought any kind of alliance with any party in contesting elections. He just rig and give his party a majority. I see the same thing happening again.  APNU will play hardball with the AFC since they don't see a need for a coalition.  

D'Aguiar had the decency to break away from Burnham when he saw Burnham true wicked colors. Nagamootoo and Ramjattan doesn't have that level of decency so they will continue to kiss the Granger's cancerous  ass.

FM
Dave posted:
VishMahabir posted:

Listen you knuckleheads....for all of you jumping for joy that there is a crack in the coalition, you should know this is all political positioning and part of the negotiations.

If none ask me, I would stick with Moses, or better yet, the Amerindian lady, which is where I think our President is leaning. 



Yo Skont Hole Camouflage antiman claim to be US student and now you’re saying “ our president “  .. haul yo mangee black Arss . 

 

Well...you will never be able to refer to Irfaan as “OUR PRESIDENT”...

IS THAT WHY YOU PIZZEDDD?

V
ksazma posted:
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

After the 1964 elections Burnham never sought any kind of alliance with any party in contesting elections. He just rig and give his party a majority. I see the same thing happening again.  APNU will play hardball with the AFC since they don't see a need for a coalition.  

D'Aguiar had the decency to break away from Burnham when he saw Burnham true wicked colors. Nagamootoo and Ramjattan doesn't have that level of decency so they will continue to kiss the Granger's cancerous  ass.

From what I know, Daguiar eventually lost support and he was undermining the policies of the PNC government.

Why should the coalition continue to give in to so much when the AFC is not the same as in 2015 and wants The same or more from the coalition. Cummingsburg has to be renegotiated. There are other smaller parties which may do as well or better than the AFC. Its politics.

V
Dave posted:
Django posted:

Coalition not over as yet , no celebration !!!

Huh.. like you waiting to celebrate. 

Ayuh aware if there is a breakup , power to the PPP with the, to be Dr..as second in command.

Django
Last edited by Django
Django posted:
Dave posted:
Django posted:

Coalition not over as yet , no celebration !!!

Huh.. like you waiting to celebrate. 

Ayuh aware if there is a breakup , power to the PPP with the, to be Dr..as second in command.

That would mean the PPP can boast that they have 2 FAKE doctors...Jagdeo and Ali...and one high school drop out...name Dave...

V
VishMahabir posted:
Django posted:
Dave posted:
Django posted:

Coalition not over as yet , no celebration !!!

Huh.. like you waiting to celebrate. 

Ayuh aware if there is a breakup , power to the PPP with the, to be Dr..as second in command.

That would mean the PPP can boast that they have 2 FAKE doctors...Jagdeo and Ali...and one high school drop out...name Dave...

Django
VishMahabir posted:
ksazma posted:
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

After the 1964 elections Burnham never sought any kind of alliance with any party in contesting elections. He just rig and give his party a majority. I see the same thing happening again.  APNU will play hardball with the AFC since they don't see a need for a coalition.  

D'Aguiar had the decency to break away from Burnham when he saw Burnham true wicked colors. Nagamootoo and Ramjattan doesn't have that level of decency so they will continue to kiss the Granger's cancerous  ass.

From what I know, Daguiar eventually lost support and he was undermining the policies of the PNC government.

Why should the coalition continue to give in to so much when the AFC is not the same as in 2015 and wants The same or more from the coalition. Cummingsburg has to be renegotiated. There are other smaller parties which may do as well or better than the AFC. Its politics.

The accord is in effect until February 14, 2020 unless it is revised. From now until that time whoever is named as the PM candidate must come from the AFC. Agreements are expected to be honored in the civilized world but if you think that civilization is asking too much from the PNC, that is your choice. If the PNC insist on violating that agreement, it will be up to the AFC if they will fall into step or object. Only time will tell how much resolve the AFC has.

FM

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