WIN accuses APNU & PPP/C of ‘tactical alignment’ to sideline councilors from regional committees

Feb 28, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Party on Friday accused the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) of ‘tactically aligning’ with the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) to exclude its councilors from being placed on various Regional Democratic Council (RDC) committees. The party has since denied any form of collusion.

WIN’s Chief Whip and Member of Parliament (MP), Tabitha Sarabo-Halley during the party’s press conference recalled that on October 10, 2025 all the RCDs convened to elect their Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons. Giving a clear understanding of what have transpired since those elections, she noted that in regions where WIN had the decisive or majority support, coordinated voting combinations prevented them from securing leadership positions.

“Where WIN’s electoral strength should have translated into institutional leadership, cross party coordination ensure that it did not. The APNU chose to tactically align with the PPP across multiply regions; voting data suggest situational alignment that prevented WIN from translating electoral support into leadership control,” she told the media.

Sarabo-Halley, who was joined by MPs Dr. Andre Lewis and Duarte Hetsberger said that following those elections, further development occurred in Regions Three, Four, Five and 10. She explained that traditionally, and procedurally, committees are constituted on the basis of proportional representation which mirrors practice in parliament and has been the accepted norm in the regions.

For clarity and guidance, she noted that in Regions One, Two, Six, Seven, Eight and Nine there have been no reports of disputes regarding committee placement and that councilors from all parties elected to the respective councils are serving and the committees are functioning.

However, she disclosed that concerns arose in Regions Three, Four, Five and 10, and each through different mechanisms but with a similar outcome. According to her, WIN’s Councilors are excluded from structural influence.

Sarabo-Halley stated that as it relates to Region Three, WIN’s Councilor, Renee Rodrigues submitted written correspondence within 15 days of swearing in, requesting committee placement. The correspondence was acknowledged, committees were subsequently announced but no WIN councilor was included, she related.

When questioned, the regional chairman reportedly said that Rodrigues correspondence was misdirected.

In Region Four, the Chief Whip disclosed that the WIN’s Councilor had formerly written to the Chairman on January 26, 2026 after committee members were announced with no WIN representation.

“It is important to note here that the PPP Chairman instructed WIN to submit names to the Chief Whip who is an APNU Councilor and WIN complied. Names were submitted and those names were not reflected in the final Committee appointments. A written request was made for reconstitution on the bases of fairness proportional representation but no corrective action has followed,” she explained.

Sarabo-Halley stated that the APNU Chief Whip on the RDC submitted names for all opposition committee positions entirely excluding the names of the WIN members that she was given. “This is not proportional representation it is structural exclusion,” she expressed.

The WIN MP made it clear that the situation is not a failure on WIN to participate reminding that WIN complied with procedural instructions and was still excluded while Opposition Committee positions were filled exclusively by APNU Councilors.

In the case of Region Five, WIN submitted names in November 2025. “The PPP Chairman stated that only the opposition with the majority is selected to be on committees. APNU submitted its list, WIN was told to negotiate with APNU Chief Whip, APUN however declined to submit WIN’s names,” she stated.

In relation to Region 10, she reminded that WIN secured nine seats in an 18 member Council. She opined that it is clear that APNU aligned with the PPP to prevent WIN from gaining the chairmanship.

“APNU shortsightedness preferred to leave Region 10 without the leadership that the people voted for, preferring instead to rest the fate of region 10 and Linden squarely in the hands of the PPP. The end result is the PPP and APNU councilors were placed on committees and WIN Councilors were excluded.”

WIN said that when “traditionally adversarial parties” cooperate to exclude the largest opposition block from committees, it raises legitimate concerns about temporary political alignment to contain emerging political forces.

Sarabo-Halley reminded that at the parliamentary level, WIN offered APNU six shadow ministry positions in the spirit of cooperation, and APNU demanded eight based on the proportionality formula that has no constitutional or historical basis in the determination of Shadow responsibilities.

When that demand was not met, a narrative was advanced that “WIN was bullying” she related. “Let us be clear, exercising constitutional authority is not bullying, maintaining institutional integrity is not aggression and respecting the mandate given by the electorate is not exclusion. At the regional level proportionality is being denied to WIN but at the parliamentary level proportionality is being demanded from WIN, that contradiction speaks for itself. Taken together, what has become obvious is that there was coordinated voting in Regional Leadership elections between the APNU and the PPP. WIN has been excluded from Regional Committees despite proportional norms and now the APNU is attempting to pressure parliamentary concessions through linkage to unresolved regional matters,” the WIN MP maintained.

Given these developments, Sarabo-Halley stated firmly that WIN stands for proportional fairness on regional committees, respect for constitutional authority in parliament and institutional integrity over political maneuvering.

“We are open to cooperation yes; we are not opened to structural diminishment. The electorate has already determined the hierarchy within the Opposition. Attempts to artificially manufactured relevance by demanding parity where none exist will not be facilitated by WIN. Democracy requires clarity, it requires respect for mandate and it requires emerging political forces are not structural suppressed through coordinated maneuvering. WIN will continue to act responsibly, constitutionally in defence of the democratic will of the people,” she said.

However, on Friday, APNU Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul rebutted allegations that his party colluded with the PPP/C to sideline WIN. Mahipaul was quoted on Credible Sources as saying:

“There was no teaming up between APNU and PPP/C to exclude WIN from committee positions at the regional level. That narrative is false.” He added, “The reporting itself which shows that these outcomes were based on voting is untruthful. There was no voting.”

Mahipaul reminded of his party’s position on “proportional representation, fair participation, and respect for democratic processes,” while accusing WIN of “contradiction and confrontation.”

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• APNU, councilors, PPP/C, RDC, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley

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