APNU Executive Council agrees to meet every two months

Jul 28, 2017 News

Last Saturday, the Executive Council of A Partnership for National Unity coalition party met for the first time after two years. Following that meeting it was agreed that the Council will now meet every two months.
This was disseminated to the media on Wednesday by Executive Member of the Working People’s Alliance, Dr. David Hinds. The last meeting according to the WPA, was called subsequent to a meeting between the WPA and President David Granger on July 17 following the removal of the WPA’s representative in government, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine from the Ministry of Education.
According to a statement read by Chairperson of the WPA, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, the meeting on Saturday was attended by all the partners of the APNU. They were the Guyana Action Party (GAP), the Justice for All Party (JFAP), the National Front Alliance (NFA), and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR). Hinds reported that of all the parties present, the WPA seemed to have the most grievances.
He said that as a result of expressing the many concerns, President David Granger moved to appoint a senior member in the APNU to take note of the grievances and attempt to have all the issues ironed-out.
He said that during the meeting on Saturday a number of immediate issues were addressed and new matters were raised.
The major agenda item for the meeting was the consideration of a report commissioned by President Granger in his capacity as Chairman of the APNU.

Dr. David Hinds

“The report documented and summarized the findings of wide-ranging consultations with APNU member parties on their assessment of intra-partnership relations and the general condition of the APNU since the change of government in 2015.”
According to Sarabo-Halley, the discussions were frank and open allowing representatives from all the parties to express their views on the issues highlighted in the report. She said that the WPA’s intervention was two-fold.
“First, we critiqued the general performance of the government thus far and in the process pointed to what we consider as the main areas of weakness and suggested solutions in that regard. Second, we documented a range of WPA grievances which had accumulated over a long period and which led to a breakdown in relations between our party and the government.”
The WPA Chairperson said that her party is satisfied that it was given a fair hearing and that the concerns raised were treated with the seriousness they deserve. She believes that the party was able to impress upon the APNU partners the need to reinvigorate the APNU, the importance of all partners being treated with respect and the benefit of inclusivity so as to incorporate meaningful and timely consultations and active participation to frame the general direction of the government.
“WPA stressed the importance of self-critique within the partnership and re-affirmed our party’s commitment to balancing participation in government with our traditional role of questioning the management of power and fidelity to the defence and protection of the most vulnerable in our society. In the process, we affirmed our right to independent thought and expression which may at times differ with those of our partners and the governing coalition.”
She added that the President had proposed that five councils be set-up having responsibility to shape the APNU as it prepares for Local and General elections. She said that despite her party left the meeting feeling a sense of genuine commitment to move ahead as a united APNU, the WPA will adopt an approach of ‘cautions optimism’.

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