Latest update September 3rd, 2026 10:25 AM
Norton willing to give coalition talks one more try
…Hughes says cannot make decision alone
Leader of the Opposition Aubrey Norton
Kaieteur News – With Nomination Day fast approaching, Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton has committed to giving one more try to coalition talks with the Alliance For Change (AFC).
On Sunday during an interview on Caribbean Tea which was streamed via YouTube, Norton told viewers that he was ready to talk. “My late father always told me the only thing that beats trying is failure itself. I am prepared to try now,” he said.
When asked by the host attorney, Vivian Williams, if his party is stronger now than in 2015, the opposition leader explained that from the inception, it was indicated that a coalition was needed, and everything has been done to bring about one as it was thought to be priority. He added that he does not think that the issue is whether they are stronger now than 2015, because the question will presuppose that your opponent has the same strength, therefore one would need more to defeat them.
Leader of the Alliance For Change, Nigel Hughes
Norton sought to make a distinction between a coalition vs power sharing, saying that though there is some element of power sharing within a coalition, the elites of the movement have to believe in the one coalition.
“The second precondition is that there’s an assumption about how much support each section has in the present political (arena) and what they bring to the table, and therefore as you discuss that situation, you have to be cognizant of the fact that we come with different levels of capabilities and in different areas, and those should be factored in into determining the kind of mechanism you put in place to ensure that there is a coalition,” he added.
Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Nigel Hughes in response said that he has, “said you can never close all doors.”
He made it clear that while the commitment is there and a coalition may be what himself and Norton want he would, “have to go back (to the AFC). I got to discuss all those things. I’m not saying it’s not going to happen but I’m just saying, it’s not as simple as getting up on a programme and the two of us saying “Hey yeah there’s a Kumbaya moment…it’s easy to do Kumbaya; it’s the mechanics after that.”
Hughes last week had told the media that any remaining prospects of a coalition with APNU are now effectively off the table. Hughes had made the announcement one day after three senior AFC members—Sherod Duncan, Juretha Fernandes, and Deonarine “Ricky” Ramsaroop jumped over to APNU by submitting their names to APNU’s list of candidates for the upcoming General and Regional Elections, without informing the AFC. “It is unlikely to be any more coalition, I’m afraid. I don’t think it will assist either side to go into what did and did not happen. It hasn’t happened, and that time has gone. I think we are all going to concentrate on the elections. And in the case of the Alliance For Change, we are pretty certain that our policies, once presented to the public, will speak for themselves,” he added, emphasising that the party is now focused on moving forward.
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