Terrence Campbell floated to head coalition’s ticket at polls

Mar 29, 2025 News

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…but talks ongoing between parties

By Davina Bagot

Kaieteur News- As talks continue between the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) towards a Coalition, ahead of this year’s National Elections, Dr. Terrence Campbell, a member of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Investment Committee is being considered as the potential Presidential Candidate for the group.

On Friday, Leader of the AFC, Nigel Hughes told reporters at the sidelines of a picket exercise in Georgetown that he is willing to step aside as Presidential Candidate for a third party to take the position, should the two sides fail to agree. He said, “The Alliance For Change appreciates and recognises the importance of this particular moment in history for the country and the Alliance For Change and I personally, I’m prepared to step aside from presidential candidature in favour of a consensus third candidate, who can unite the opposition in the interest of the country.”

When asked if the largest faction of APNU, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is willing to do the same, Hughes explained that he did not directly communicate with the party’s negotiators, as he has also not been involved in the negotiations.

Meanwhile, with regard to the AFC’s candidate for consensus, Hughes said, “Well, I think they’re quite a few people in the society. You can’t have a country as large as Guyana and not have some personality that can unite the Opposition. I think there are people out there. You’ve got Dr. Campbell you’ve got, you know, other people who are out there, there are quite a few people out there.”

Hughes said the talks with APNU are still ongoing daily, with a decision likely to be made by March 31.  He was keen to note that Guyana remains the important factor and he has no expectations for any specific role in a future coalition government. According to him, “I think the important thing is this country has to be rescued from the PPP.”

The Party leader also used the opportunity to clarify that the AFC is not in political discussions with the Mohamed’s.  In an invited comment, Dr. Campbell told this newspaper that he would consider the position, if offered. He said, “In the unlikely event that I am asked, I will definitely give it serious consideration.” He declined to give further details on the subject.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton for his views on the Candidate were unsuccessful.  The PNCR Leader during a press conference earlier on Friday was disinclined to go into detail about the ongoing discussions with the AFC. He was specifically asked by this newspaper whether an agreement had been reached regarding a possible Coalition. To this end, he told Kaieteur News, “There’s a saying that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”

Additionally, Norton informed that the March 31 timeline for a decision in that regard was not “written in stone.”  “I would say we will continue to negotiate with an open mind; hopefully we will get through it by the 31^st but if we do not, it doesn’t follow that that ends everything. That will be a decision of the two sides,” the Leader noted.

In the meantime, Norton said he remains optimistic about coalescing with the AFC. He however pointed out, “In every optimism there are specks of pessimism and you just hope that optimism triumphs over pessimism.”

Norton refused to say what agreements, if any, have been made to date between the two sides as well as any differences they may still be ironing out.  On January 21, 2025, the APNU signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the AFC to explore the possibility of coalescing in the upcoming Elections, to be held later this year.

At the time of the announcement, the AFC said the agreement was on “life support” citing “trust and confidentiality” issues.  Back in February 2015, the AFC signed the Cummingsburg Accord with the APNU, binding the two political parties as a Coalition. They later defeated 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 Cummingsburg Accord- the binding agreement with the APNU- in 2023 upon its expiration. At that time, the AFC said it was focused on “rebuilding.” Though the two sides had officially divorced, they remained unified in the National Assembly.

(Terrence Campbell floated to head coalition’s ticket at polls)

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• AFC, APNU, candidate, MOU, Presidential, Terrence Campbell

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