AFC Congress elects Trotman again- Ramjattan as Chairman

Jan 29, 2017 News

---

By Kiana Wilburg
With a two point lead, co-founder of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Raphael Trotman, defeated his colleague, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, in the fight for the leadership position of the party.

This was revealed yesterday at the AFC’s fifth biennial National Conference which was held at Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary School. According to the election results, Trotman secured 127 votes while Ramjattan, the former leader of the Party, earned 125.
Ramjattan served as leader from 2005 to 2007. Trotman subsequently took over from 2007 and continued to 2012. The Minister of Public Security was voted into the leadership position in 2012 and served until January 27, 2017.
Around 19: 30 hours yesterday, President David Granger extended congratulations to Trotman on securing the position. The Head of State noted that the AFC is an essential component of the coalition, APNU+AFC, and took the opportunity to recommit the APNU to the Cummingsburg Accord.
Three persons were originally slated to contest the position of Chairman. They were Raphael Trotman, Khemraj Ramjattan and Mrs. Cathy Hughes, the Minister of Public Telecommunications. Ramjattan was declared the Chairman after Trotman won the elections for Leader. Hughes withdrew her candidacy.
However, with 116 votes, Hughes emerged as the winner for the post of Vice Chairman. The Party also saw the election of a new General Secretary. With 125 votes, Marlon Williams will now hold the fort. His predecessor, David Patterson, who is Minister of Public Infrastructure, secured 83 votes at the elections.
Even though he was nominated for the leadership post, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo had announced on Friday that he would not be running for the position. The First Vice President also declined to run for the positions of Chairman or Vice-Chairman. He noted, though, that he would accept nomination for the National Executive Committee (NEC), and will serve on this body if elected.
Delivering the feature address at the National Conference was AFC’s new Chairman, Minister Ramjattan.
The politician reflected that during the conceptualization of the party, he along with the late Sheila Holder and Trotman were mocked and scoffed at.
“We knew that the effort of forming and sustaining such a movement was indeed going to be perilous and strewn with struggles. And that this unfinished journey to real democracy and development for our beloved Guyana will indeed be most difficult. But we found sustenance in the good people you were and who you continue to be. We were of the belief, too, that somewhere in the Heavens there was a Guiding Hand.”
He continued, “We got numerous letters and a multitude of emails, some demanding, others cajoling, that this movement must happen.”
He said that this was the reason for the AFC; a new political movement which wanted an alteration of the political landscape; a party which saw the nation being removed from the then existing doldrums to new energy and activity.
After the AFC joined forces with the APNU, and won the 2015 elections, Ramjattan said that the entire country exulted and celebrated.
He said, “We had begun realizing the dream. But the leadership knew it was not going to be easy especially as we found out how drained the Treasury’s finances were, as a result of the PPP’s massive corruption in almost every institution and Government Agency. I don’t have to remind you of the findings of the Forensic Audits done by the Rams and Goolsarrans and others.”
The politician continued, “We knew, too, that it was not going to be easy because of the poor state of the world economy which was suffering from jobless growth as the experts call it which affected the performance of our commodities like rice and sugar and bauxite. The fear of our citizens, too, made the task challenging as the crime rates were spiraling out of control.”
He noted however that the National Conference in Vreed- en-Hoop must seek to unite and consolidate the strengths of the AFC, further its identity and spread its relevance to all quarters of the country.
Ramjattan said that from the very inception, and more so the 2015 elections, the Alliance for Change has been a relevant party in what must be frankly described as an ethnic-based society as Guyana is.
He stressed that the AFC as the third strongest political force in Guyana contributed significantly to the People’s Progressive Party having a minority government for the first time in 2011.
“And although there are many reasons cited, history has shown that the introduction of a third party enhances the positive consequences of the two party-systems in that it could prevent gridlock, increase voter turnout, hold the party in power to its promises and make sure that it caters to the needs of every racial grouping and not only to its own.”
With the two major parties in Guyana, drawing their support from their respective ethnic blocs, Ramjattan argued that third parties must seek to promote the interest of all the differing groups and blocs in a divided society if they are to enhance their chances of electoral success.
To this end, he said that third parties must seek to win the support of the citizens of both races and of mixed ancestry. In this context, they are relevant because they provide an “emotional bridge” for voters who are weary of supporting one major party based on race but are not yet ready to vote for the other.
As for the challenge which lie ahead, the AFC Chairman said that he has come to learn that removing a Government is one thing; but governing is quite another. He stressed that governing requires perspectives, capacities and dexterities which were never needed in Opposition.
The former leader of the party said that he has also come to realize that in this political realm, the public blames democratic leaders and democracy itself for failing to meet economic and political expectations; even when what was inherited was massive corruption and abuse.
But to attain the good life, a green economy, and a sustainable democracy, Ramjattan said that there must exists an effective party with credible leadership which can inspire Guyanese that these goals are possible.

---

---