AFC likely to disappear

Jun 23, 2010 Letters

Dear Editor,
We are all no doubt looking with great interest at how the Alliance for Change (AFC) is unraveling right before our eyes. Unless urgent action is taken, the party is likely to disappear.
Developments over the last week must be of grave concern for this young and inexperienced political party.
Here are some points to take note of regarding internal developments within the AFC and with respect to an alliance with the PNC.
For all practical purposes AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan has been marginalised by Trotman and his group. But why would Trotman do what he has done – that is – break his promise of a rotating leadership.
The most likely answer to this is that unless the AFC goes into an alliance with the PNCR, Trotman would have to take a back seat to both Ramjattan and Holder.
If the rotation had gone through Ramjattan would have become leader, Holder the Chair, and Trotman the Vice-Chair. This is obviously a dead end for the former high-ranking PNCR man.
Given that scenario, Trotman’s only option of remaining a visible politician is to enter into what Roopnaraine has called a shotgun wedding with the PNCR.
If the PNCR and AFC enter into an electoral alliance, the AFC would have to get one of the top spots. The least one can expect is the running-mate position. That would actually mean Trotman may be interested in becoming Prime Minister, while Mr. Corbin or someone else from the PNC would contest for the Presidency.
This is the most likely scenario of what has happened so far. It should be emphasised that had Trotman remained faithful to his own party principle, he would have become the third ranking member of the AFC.
Generally speaking, no matter what kind of lofty moralizing the AFC might have articulated before, no politician wants to be ‘third man’.
We should also dispense with any notion of the WPA and GAP getting anything significant. Although men like Rupert Roopnaraine are now speaking after long periods of silence, the fact remains that the WPA has never been a force to reckon with at the polls.
Don’t misunderstand me here. The WPA played a key role in the anti-dictatorial movement, but it was not interested in victory at the polls. The WPA has never received more than token electoral support.
GAP is almost non-existent as a political entity. Yes, it has a seat in parliament. But even there GAP is just acting out its role because it has to. It has never really contributed anything to policy, and certainly has no political clout on the streets.
The Corbin-Trotman ticket would amount to Trotman rejoining the PNCR. It would also mean the end of Ramjattan.
Holder would be squeezed into the Corbin-Trotman configuration. When all is done, the AFC would never again be a viable political party.
Dr. Randy Persaud

Editor’s note: The AFC has decided that there would be a rotating leadership. Ramjattan would be the presidential candidate.

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