AFC set to host ‘FIT & PROPPA’ Candidates Conference today

The youngest slate in Local Government Elections (LGE) will be on full display today when hundreds of candidates will invade the Centre For Change as the Alliance For Change (AFC) hosts its LGE Candidates Conference at its headquarters at Railway Embankment, Kitty, Georgetown.
The Candidates Conference will see AFC constituency candidates for the upcoming November 12 Local Government polls travelling from as far as Bartica, Corentyne, Kwakwani, Leguan and Linden to attend the conference.
According to a statement from the party on Friday, candidates from Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) are expected to be in attendance. The party said it will be hosting similar events in other regions on upcoming dates.
During the one-day Conference, candidates will be briefed on Local Government Election rules and procedures and will receive a charge by party elder, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.
Furthermore, several candidates will also deliver presentations in addition to presentations by party Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan, Vice Chair Cathy Hughes and Campaign Director David Patterson.
The event will also see the launch of campaign jingles and the LGE edition of ‘The Key’, the party’s newspaper.
“This event is designed to both energise and educate our candidates. We look forward to the legendary AFC camaraderie and energy tomorrow as the candidates swarm in from all over the country,” party leader Raphael Trotman said.
Meanwhile, AFC’s Campaign Director David Patterson said, “It has taken a considerable amount of planning and logistical work to put together this conference but all has gone smoothly and the final arrangements are being put in place for a successful event.”
Following failed negotiations with its majority coalition partner, the AFC announced back in August it will be contesting the November 12 LGE separately from the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).
The minority party in the coalition Government had said the decision was reached following the inconclusive negotiations with APNU but noted that the separation applies only for the 2018 Local Government polls and “does not, in any way, affect the APNU/AFC coalition Government, nor does it, in any way, change the AFC’s position on coalition politics at the national level. The AFC remains, and reaffirms that it is, committed to the APNU/AFC coalition.”
On February 14 last, the APNU and AFC celebrated their three-year anniversary since signing the “lovers’ deal”. However, the AFC of recent has come under fire for the submissive role it has been playing since joining forces with the APNU. In fact, the top leadership of the AFC had decided back mid-November to revise its governing agreement with its majority coalition partner.
The Cummingsburg Accord has a lifespan of a minimum of three years and a maximum of five years, and was focused primarily on the General and Regional Elections. To this end, the AFC had proposed as part of the nine points up for negotiation with its coalition partner that an agreement on LGE be crafted. In fact, the minority coalition partner detailed some of its positions for negotiation in the LGE Accord.
The AFC’s National Executive Committee, after a May 1 meeting, had allowed additional time for the two coalition partners to have a definitive written agreement in the form of a Local Government Elections Accord but this was never done.