Gravesande-Bart, Jaipaul Sharma new faces in AFC camp

Jul 12, 2025 News

---

Kaieteur News – The Alliance for Change (AFC) has unveiled two new faces on its list of candidates, Kerensa Gravesande-Bart and Jaipaul Sharma.

Party leader, Nigel Hughes told reporters on Friday that he was happy to introduce the additions who will be a critical and essential part of an AFC government.

Providing a background on Bart, Hughes said, “in 2018 Kerry won the inaugural Women in Business Award in Guyana. As you know, one of the major thrusts of the Alliance for Change is not only business, but women in business. And so, Kerry is a perfect fit. In 2019, she went on to fund the women chamber of commerce and industry in Guyana that was groundbreaking.”

The attorney said it was the first time a women’s organisation was dedicated to business in Guyana. He said Gravesande-Bart will be heading up the thrust in making sure that there are increased opportunities for women in business as well as playing a critical role in the AFC’s aim to establish a financial institution or a bank for women.

In her first address to the media as an AFC candidate, Gravesande-Bart said she was honored by the trust placed in her by the AFC, to potentially hold the country together.

“Guyana, many of you may already know me from my years of work within the private sector, but today, allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Kerensa Gravesande-Bart, but everyone calls me Kerry, proud Guyanese, proud Guyanese woman, mother, wife, entrepreneur, advocate for women’s empowerment and youth development and good governance. My journey, like many of yours, has been defined by dreams, hard work and persistence, and above all, my passionate love for Guyana, I’ve had the privilege to co-found several ventures,” she said.

The AFC candidate said she has accepted the nomination for a parliamentary candidate of the party, not just as a political figure, but as an advocate and partner in shaping a brighter, more prosperous future for every Guyanese citizen.

“My vision is clear, a Guyana that thrives economically, stands for good governance, empowers its women and youth and ensures inclusive growth. Imagine a Guyana where opportunities are abundant for youth, where quality education, vocational training and meaningful employment become the norm, not the exception… Today, I invite every single Guyanese citizen to join this movement for positive change. Let’s build a country defined by unity, prosperity, justice and hope,” she added.

Meanwhile, Jaipaul Sharma, a former member of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) as leader of Equal Rights and Justice Party (ERJP), told reporters that he was pleased to be under Hughes’s leadership, as he believes he is the best of current crop of presidential candidates.

“So, when you’re going to choose a person, you choose a person with quality of leadership and Mr. Nigel Hughes fits and ticks all the boxes in terms of what you want to see as a leader. In Guyana, (when you) talk about being honorable, having integrity, honest, and I could even go far hard to say that he’s a man after God’s own heart, and that is the kind of endorsement any presidential candidate should be wanting from his candidates heading towards a general and regional election,” Sharma said.

He said September 1 will be a defining moment for Guyana, hence he is asking Guyanese at home and abroad to vote wisely, because the elections are not just about the ones at home.

“I believe about, maybe about 200 to 250,000 of those electors on the official list of electors are going to be from the diaspora. That is a quite a large amount. It could impact heavily on the next presidency, and so you need to choose wisely. The PPP is a party that strive on what I refer to as theatrics, they perform well,” he said.

Recently there has been a number of persons leaving AFC’s camp and joining the APNU.

Last month, AFC relayed that it had cancelled the membership of Juretha Fernandes, Sherod Duncan, and Deonarine (Ricky) Ramsaroop after independently verifying that they joined A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

The move by AFC came after media reports surfaced that Fernandes was named prime ministerial candidate in APNU’s list of candidates for the upcoming polls.

Sherod Ducan and Ramsaroop were also named in APNU’s list.

Two other members AFC members, Suruj Narayan Singh, former AFC Region 3 Chairman, and Gangadai Lloyd, former AFC Region 3 Councillor, also crossed over to the APNU without formally resigning from the party.

Hughes confirmed that neither Singh nor Lloyd had communicated their resignations to the AFC. “I’ve seen the post on APNU’s Facebook page and it appears to be accurate. They have not communicated with the party with this. I hope the two will send a resignation letter then…or else we have to take the necessary actions,” he said.

---

• AFC, Guyana Elections, Jaipaul Sharma, Kerensa Gravesande-Bart, Nigel Hughes

---