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AFC not hungry for Presidential candidate in coalition–Nigel Hughes
…says “process” should determine any future leader
Kaieteur News- Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Nigel Hughes this weekend expressed optimism over ongoing talks with the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) towards a Coalition for this year’s elections.
During the sidelines of the launch of a new party on Saturday, Hughes told reporters that “there has been an increase in oxygen,” referring to the status of the discussions he previously revealed were on “life support”.
AFC Leader, Nigel Hughes
Asked by journalists if he would like to see a coalition, the leader responded, “I would like to see anything that is in interest of this country in any combination.”
Hughes was keen to point out that the AFC is not holding out for its candidate to be head of any future Coalition, rather it believes that this decision should be made via a process. He explained, “The AFC is not advancing their candidate, we are saying that there should be a process and the process should be in the best interest of the candidate so it doesn’t have to be Nigel Hughes, it doesn’t have to be anybody that may be in the process at the moment, its whatever is in the best interest of the country.”
He was reluctant to expound on the process he referenced, to avoid any impact to the ongoing discussions. This past week, the two major Opposition parties took a beating in the National Assembly for their failure to stand united by government Members of Parliament (MPs).
This was as a result of the recent disclosure by Hughes, that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two sides, for discussions towards a Coalition, were on “life support”.
Hours after the MoU was entered into on January 23, Hughes in a press conference that evening stressed the importance of “trust and confidentiality”.
Kaieteur News understands that another section of the media reported on the contents of the MoU, which may not have been accurate.
Subsequently, Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton said, “I believe that we have the ability to engage and resolve whatever issues emerge.”
Meanwhile, with regards to the coveted title of Presidential candidate, Norton hinted at remaining open to not leading any future Coalition.
He explained, “I have long said at the PNC Congress said that I will be the presidential candidate and if there is going to be any other as it relates to the PNC, I will be the person to determine. I wouldn’t venture to speaking past that.”
On February 14, 2015, the AFC signed the Cummingsburg Accord with the APNU and went on to defeat the PPP at the 2015 elections held in May that year. Since then, the Coalition has stood together but not without its internal hiccups.
The AFC, under the stewardship of former Leader Khemraj Ramjattan, had decided not to renew the binding agreement with the APNU- in 2023 upon its expiration. At the time, AFC said it would focus on rebuilding.
(AFC not hungry for Presidential candidate in coalition–Nigel Hughes)
- AFC, APNU, candidate, life support, MOU
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