Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
Will pro-democracy alliance widen? …AFC courts top PPP members
“…but the likes of Ashni Singh will be refused”- Nagamootoo
By Abena Rockcliffe
Politicians who are closely associated with the incumbent People’s Progressive Party (PPP) are said
AFC Vice-Chairman, Moses Nagamootoo
to be in talks with the Alliance For Change (AFC). These talks, according to senior AFC executive Moses Nagamootoo, are being conducted as PPP members have growing intentions to abort the Party and join the proposed pro-democracy alliance.
PPP members expressing interest in leaving the Party are speaking to the AFC by way of Nagamootoo, a former PPP stalwart.
Nagamootoo, a veteran politician, spent most of his political career as a high-ranking member of the PPP, so most of the individuals who are in contact with him are his former colleagues.
Kaieteur News learnt about the early negotiations yesterday just after AFC concluded its weekly press conference.
The man behind the negotiations—Nagamootoo—let the cat out of the bag as he responded to queries as to whether or not members of the PPP have signaled intentions to leave the Party after his public call for “untainted” members to join the proposed prodemocracy alliance. This call was made almost a month ago.
In this regard, Nagamootoo told Kaieteur News, “I am getting calls all the time…I am getting calls from lots of people associated with the PPP.”
Nagamootoo also said that he is getting “good vibes” from quite a few former PPP members.
Even as he opted not to divulge any of the names of the persons to whom he referred, Nagamootoo did not dismiss possibilities that he is in talks with persons who are current members of the PPP’s executive committee.
When asked directly to say whether any of the PPP’s members who are in talks with him are part of that committee, Nagamootoo’s only response was, “I am not going to specify.”
He noted however that some of those who are corresponding with him are inquiring about “possible space.”
Nagamootoo added, “That is why I spoke before about creating space for people.”
He said that the AFC would like to set aside three spaces in the new Cabinet for members who would have left the PPP and join the pro-democracy alliance.
The attorney-at-law said that the broad idea is to form a government of national unity “and that is not with intention to isolate the PPP or carry out any vendetta.”
Nagamootoo said that in thinking politics, one must accept that, “yes, there are people who may want to support the PPP and will do so for their own reason based on their own fears, so we want to show them that their votes are important too”.
Asked if in an effort to show voting Guyanese that each vote is important, the AFC would lean towards working with some of the characters believed to have contributed to the worrying levels of corruption in the PPP administration, Nagamootoo responded in the negative.
He said, “We still think that what (Minster of Finance) Dr. Ashni (Singh) did was outrageous. He unforgivably spent $4.5B of taxpayers’ money without being authorized to do so.”
The politician said that therefore, the AFC nor any alliance it is part of, will not accept Dr. Singh as he has proven to be “out of order.”
“There are some who we believe are going to be unpalatable!” Nagamootoo stated emphatically.
The politician said that he only wants to be in talks with PPP officials who have the best interest of Guyana at heart.
Asked what is the AFC’s most important message needed to be getting across to the voting population, Nagamootoo spoke to the benefits of national unity.
“Guyanese security lies in national unity. The AFC wants Guyanese to know that the broader the coalition, the better it will be for all of us. This is because we can bring an end to the racial polarization. Our message is that we need to revive the Guyana dream that all persons will be secure. There is no reason for anyone to fear and there is nothing to lose,” Nagamootoo said in conclusion.
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