THE CUMMINGSBURG ACCORD

May 15, 2017 Editorial

Out of nowhere the Alliance for Change (AFC) has decided to appoint a committee to review the Cummingsburg Accord which birthed the historic coalition that ended the 23-year reign of the PPP government.
The committee has been mandated to study the Accord and make changes that will strengthen its position in the coalition government. This is being done despite claims by its leaders that the AFC is a powerful and a critical part of the coalition government.
However, the AFC seems to be overwhelmed by the coalition. Following the controversial trip to China and the appointment of a businessman as adviser to the government, the AFC claimed that too much power has been vested in the Minister of State.
It therefore held a weekend retreat which recommended the curtailment of some powers of the Minister. It was an exercise in futility because no one in the coalition, including the President, was sympathetic to the AFC.
The AFC has found itself swamped by the coalition and that its voice is limited only to cabinet meetings. Almost all major government decisions are made by its larger PNC partner in the coalition government. But the mere fact that it appoints a Committee to review the Accord shows that there are some serious gaps between the AFC and APNU.
Nonetheless, the decision to review the Accord was made while simultaneously, its leaders have reaffirmed that the AFC remains strong and cohesive within the coalition and is committed to its ideals and principles. But according to Prime Minister Nagamootoo, “after two years in office, things have changed and the AFC is of the belief that the time has come for the Cummingsburg Accord to be renegotiated.”
Something is awry with the AFC, but its leaders are bamboozling the public that all is well. If, as stated, there is no feud between the AFC and the APNU, then why does the AFC want the Accord to be renegotiated?
The fact that its leader stated that the review is to make the AFC stronger suggests that it is weak. As a minor partner in the coalition government, the AFC has learned the hard way.
It is likely that it might suffer the same fate experienced by other third parties, especially the United Force, which had joined with the PNC to form the government in 1964. Another factor that does not bode well for the AFC is that the life of third parties in Guyana is three election cycles.
It appears that the AFC has only now found out that it has little say in the coalition government, which is dominated by the PNC. It is struggling to maintain what little is left, if any, of its identity in the coalition.
Many believe that the AFC took a calculated risk with the Cummingsburg Accord that turned out to be ugly after two years. It is enmeshed in the coalition, which has been plagued with making some terrible choices, either through inexperience, lack of ability or downright disregard for transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
The AFC has not only lost its political conviction but it seems to have lost its political will to make changes. It is now driven less by the principles which it was founded on and more by political power which has become an end rather than a means to achieve its objectives.
It has abandoned its commitment to reform the broken political process as promised. Not only has it performed poorly in the Local Government Elections, but it also lost its only REO position in Region Six. It has found itself swimming among sharks.

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