Latest update December 17th, 2024 2:00 AM
WPA backs set criteria to choose presidential candidate of grand coalition
Kaieteur News- The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has thrown its weight behind set criteria being established for choosing a presidential candidate for a grand coalition to contest the 2025 elections.
Last week, Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, told reporters at the People’s National Congress’s weekly press conference that he believes criteria should be laid out to select the ‘right’ person to be the presidential candidate. Co Leader of the WPA, Dr David Hinds, told reporters on Monday, during their party’s press conference, that his party does not have a candidate and therefore cannot be burdened with the stress of finding one. However, they do have an interest in who will become the consensus candidate to represent them come next year.
Co leader of the WPA Dr David Hinds. (WPA backs set criteria to choose presidential candidate of grand coalition)
“So we agree with the PNC that there should be declared guidelines as to how we arrive at the consensus candidate. We have not given much thought to a candidate coming from outside of the political parties, but we would not object to such a proposal,” Dr Hinds said. He reasoned that if a proposal is put on the table, it would be discussed but they feel that there is still time, as “in arriving at a consensus candidate, we feel that we have to have a consensus programme, as we said, a consensus approach to governance, and I think out of that consensus programme, out of that consensus approach to governance, we may get an insight into the type of person or candidate who should head the ticket.”
He explained there is also the gender perspective and if the coalition can arrive at this ‘top ticket’ to reflect the multi-ethnic nature and the gender dynamics in the society, “we will get the best of all, but at the minimum, we will insist, that the top of the ticket reflects the multi-ethnic nature of the society.”
Norton told reporters that the intellect of the person who will lead the coalition must be examined thoroughly, if that person is to compete as head of the combined opposition at the 2025 General and Regional Elections. “This cannot be some arbitrary thing, in which somebody flies from the sky and decide that they will be president. One of the things for me, a leader of a political party has to be able to do, is to withstand pressure… not resign as soon as some pressure comes to you, and while I wouldn’t attack anyone, when it comes to dealing with a presidential candidate, we will have to identity the criteria and see who fits the criteria, and I am prepared to be involved in that process,” Norton said.
The PNCR leader explained that he is guided by the PNCR and that party has made it clear that he should be the presidential candidate. However, if there is a chance that another person is being considered, then as party leader he would be the one to make the decision. “I would say this to you, I would do everything to ensure that we get rid of the PPP. And that guarantee I give to you. We must weaken this government. We must do everything [and] if it demands coalition to change this government, we will do that, because the worse thing for the people of Guyana, at this stage, is the Irfaan Ali Government,” Norton told reporters.
(WPA backs set criteria to choose presidential candidate of grand coalition)
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