AFC official threatens to shut down NEC with injunction

– unless list revised to include wife as delegate
The Alliance For Change (AFC) National Executive Conference (NEC) is expected to be hosted on June 15, but internal tensions within the party and pressure of an injunction to halt the proceedings could see this date being pushed back.

According to reports reaching this publication, this pressure emanated from AFC member and Director of the Department of Public Information, Imran Khan. According to a well-placed source, the non-selection of Khan’s wife, Tamara Khan, as a delegate is at the centre of the tension.
Reports indicate that Khan informed executives of his intention to seek an injunction to halt the NEC if she was not added on the list. Efforts to contact Khan on Sunday to get his response to the reports were futile.
When contacted on Sunday to confirm the reports, AFC General Secretary Marlon Williams was unaware of the developing situation. However, AFC executive member and Head of the WFC, Beverly Alert, when contacted revealed in a brief interview that the executive is handling the situation. What is unlikely, she noted, is the party giving in to threats.
“I can tell you, the management committee, of which I’m a part, did receive messages from Mr Khan along those lines. But the matter is being handled… I don’t see the management committee giving in to any threats. But [we’re] examining processes, because we’re a democratic party and at the end of the day the democratic process will be subscribed to.”
She explained that before someone is added to the list of representatives, the names must be selected at the regional level. “In this case, Khan’s name was not submitted by Region Four.”
Much will be at stake for the AFC at this conference. For some time, there has been speculation from political analysts about divisions in the party, with some members supporting Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo to return as President David Granger’s running mate at the next General and Regional elections.
However, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan at a press conference in May announced that he will be challenging his colleague for the post of Prime Minister at the upcoming national conference.
According to the Public Security Minister, if elected, he would be “up to the task”. He had informed the media that the selection of leadership in the AFC is based on democratic principles which are nothing new to political parties locally and internationally.
“I have already indicated my interest. There are others I am certain who will indicate their interests. And so it is going to be interesting and it is good to have instead of political parties, the regular rivalry between leaders that you would have in the democracies…so yes, we will be looking forward for it and that will be decided there at the national conference,” Ramjattan had said.
Minister Ramjattan had noted that the electoral process at the upcoming conference will be the deciding factor as to who be running as the prime ministerial candidate at the next General And Regional Elections.
“The prime ministerial candidate is generally made at the national conference. And I rather suspect that our next national conference there will be a recommendation as to who will be the PM.”
Earlier in January last, President Granger was endorsed by his party, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), to run for a second term as President.
In fact, the PNC/R – the larger partner in five-party A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) – officially threw its support behind its leader via a letter from General Secretary Amna Ally.
In accordance with the 2015 ‘deal’ in the form of a Cummingsburg Accord between the two parties, AFC was supposed to have the prime ministerial position while the presidential post goes to the APNU.