WPA, PNCR sign coalition pact

Feb 11, 2025 News

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—to up pressure on GECOM for biometrics at upcoming elections

Kaieteur News-The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has entered into a new electoral partnership with the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) as part of its strategy for the upcoming general and regional elections. And the party intends to join forces with allies to mount a robust campaign for the introduction of biometrics at the upcoming general and regional elections.

Late last year, the Joint Opposition had emphasised its support for the full implementation of biometrics throughout the election process. The joint statement outlined the party’s support for the capture of fingerprints digitally in the registration process (to enhance the quality of fingerprints available to the Commission and aid in the prevention of multiple registration) and digitized fingerprint identification at the place of poll (to prevent voter impersonation or identity theft). “We express our preparedness to lend support to all the necessary stages to arrive at this outcome, including enacting constitutional and statutory changes, if necessary,” the joint opposition said in a statement back in November last year. The opposition said too that it stands ready to engage in all necessary discussions at the GECOM level, the parliamentary level, and/or at the inter-party level to resolve these concerns to the satisfaction of all stakeholders, including the Guyanese people. “We recognise and support GECOM’s position that stakeholder involvement should be integral to the process,” the two parties added in the statement while calling on GECOM to promptly engage stakeholders before finalising its internal discussions on the way forward.

Meanwhile, speaking at the party’s weekly news conference on Thursday, WPA Co-Leader, Dr. David Hinds said the two parties met this past week in another round of talks in pursuit of their earlier commitment to contest the upcoming general and regional elections as part of a broad coalition. The deliberations, Hinds said centered on two major issues: firstly, how to more effectively confront GECOM’s continued reluctance to ensure that the joint opposition demands for free and free elections are met. Secondly, how to strengthen the electoral coalition in preparation for the upcoming elections.

As regards the GECOM issue, Dr. Hinds said both sides agreed that the commission’s continued resistance to the use of biometrics at the upcoming elections poses a serious threat to the integrity of the elections.” Consequently, it was agreed that the opposition is left with no alternative but to intensify the pressure on GECOM on multiple fronts. Given the ramifications of this undertaking, we agreed to set up a joint working committee to further address the related issues and make recommendations in this regard for consideration at the next meeting,” Hinds told the media.

In relation to the electoral coalition, WPA, Hinds said feels that “we have made some progress. We took note of the PNC/APNU ongoing coalition talks with the AFC. It was agreed that the PNC-WPA talks would proceed based on its own dynamics.  Given the WPA’s continued hesitancy about rejoining the APNU. The meeting agreed that there is need to find a mechanism to resolve this apparent dilemma.  Another joint working committee was set up to make recommendations in this regard to the next meeting.”

He said the meeting spent much time discussing how a coalition of parties with varying electoral appeals and political capacities can work more harmoniously and effectively in pursuit of common goals. “We view the setting up of the two joint working committees as a step in the direction of democratisation of decision making—an issue that haunted intra-party relations in the last coalition. We left the meeting more optimistic that the two parties share a commitment to coalition politics both as an election strategy and as a means to a political solution to Guyana’s ongoing ethno-political impasse.  In this regard we are optimistic that there will be a grand coalition to confront and defeat the PPP at the next election.”

Hinds told the media that WPA views coalitions in two phases. “The first phase is electoral in nature whereby parties form coalitions to compete for office. The second phase is nation-building whereby parties come together in a National Government aimed at holding together the disparate and contending forces in the society for the national good.”

Hinds said since Guyana’s constitution does not accommodate post-election coalition governments, parties wishing to achieve this outcome must come together before elections. “WPA is pursuing a coalition with other opposition forces to defeat the PPP which in our view has taken Guyana once again into the realm of autocratic rule. We do so with the full knowledge that our party lacks the electoral appeal to win an election on its own.  Should we go into an election on our own, we risk splitting the opposition vote and ensuring a return of the PPP to power. Given the fact that our last three elections were decided by one seat, we are aware that the votes of a small electoral party such as the WPA could make the difference between keeping the PPP in or throwing them out of office. Those who have pledged their support to the WPA are adamant that they do so partly to achieve the latter.” Hinds said while the WPA concedes “our electoral limitations, we make up for that with our political capacity and our ability to mobilise such capacity from within the ranks of our allies in the wider society.  We also bring to any coalition a political integrity and independence that could lead to tangible outcomes in voter mobilization and accountable governance.”

(WPA, PNCR sign coalition pact)

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• 2025 elections, Coalition, PNC, signs off, WPA

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