Norton awaiting formal word from AFC on “parting way” decision

Jul 10, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Leader of the Opposition and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), the largest faction of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, is adamant that its relationship with the AFC will be maintained despite the AFC’s stated intend to part ways by year end.

Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton

Norton on Saturday explained that until the Leader of the AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan has outlined the party’s plan to him, he will not be accepting any decision. He told Kaieteur News, “As far as I know, the AFC is still in the Coalition and until that time comes I wouldn’t venture into commenting into what was said yesterday (Friday). I do not operate based on sensationalism and emotionalism. Until Khemraj Ramjattan and the AFC say to me that they are parting ways I will just not comment on it…until the AFC communicates with me and says anything I will treat it as a Coalition.”

Meanwhile, popular talk show host, Mark Benschop, weighed-in on the AFC announcement, saying via a Facebook post on Saturday that the AFC was only awarded seats in Parliament due to its relationship with the Coalition. As such, he threatened, “yall ain’t gonna use we and leff we fuh go and bargain with others…dah is not the contract we signed when we voted for the coalition. So, if yall wanna go alone, then yall return all of the seats to the Coalition…or, I will see yall in court.”

Leader of the AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan

On Friday, Chairperson of the AFC, Catherine Hughes announced that the members of the Alliance For Change decided at the last National Conference, hosted last month, that when the Cummingsburg Accord comes to an end on December 31 this year, the party will not be renewing the agreement.

Instead, she said the AFC will focus on rebuilding and walking on its own feet.

Hughes, at the press engagement, acknowledged that challenges within the Coalition exist, hinting that these may have promoted the decision.

To this end, the Chairperson indicated that there is a strong possibility that the AFC may spend the next two years focusing on “getting back on the ground.” The party has, however, not ruled out coalescing with other parties.

In fact, the third largest political group explained that it has already discussed reaching out to smaller parties that contended in the 2020 elections, as well as the trade unions.

When it comes to partnering with the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) however, AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan said, it is simply a “nonstarter” unless the incumbent administration mends its “corrupt” ways and in particular commence a structured distribution of the accumulated wealth from oil earnings.

Ramjattan argued that if the party did “good things”, the AFC would be tempted to join, but in the meantime, he does not see a partnership being formed.

The AFC Leader also registered his concerns over the more recent ‘Su-revelation’ adding that the party would be willing to support the PPP if it got rid of the person tied to the allegations – Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo.

About five weeks ago, the AFC said it met with the Leader of the Opposition to discuss the way forward.

In addition to Norton, present from the APNU side were Volda Lawrence and Geeta Chandan-Edmond.

On Monday, the two sides are expected to meet again. Ramjattan said he anticipates a “meaningful” agenda. The tension between the APNU and AFC sparked when a member of the AFC Charrandass Persaud turned against the Coalition and voted in favour of a No Confidence Motion that was filed against the then government in December 2018.

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