APNU in talks with AFC on possible collaborations – APNU Chairman

– says coalition open to all like-minded parties

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), which once shared a coalition with the Alliance For Change (AFC) before going its separate ways after losing the 2020 elections has begun talks aimed at possibly reigniting the flames.
This was revealed by APNU Chairman Vincent Henry, in a recent interview with the Guyana Times when he was recently asked about possible collaborations with the AFC.

Henry, a Member of Parliament (MP) who also leads the Guyana Action Party (GAP), noted that discussions have commenced with several other political parties.
“First of all, our charter is one that is very inclusive. We work with other political parties, we work with community groups, we work with churches, we even work with individuals. Citizens, once they have the same belief and understanding on how we can achieve our objectives.”
“As such, we are open to any political party that has that sort of belief in coalition politics. And from what I have noticed, there are several parties with that sort of belief right now. And actually, we have begun to work with them.”
According to Henry, this includes the AFC with whom they have begun to have discussions with even after he was elected APNU Chairman. Henry noted that “we’ve had discussions with them. And we will continue to have discussions with them and others, not just the AFC.”

The AFC had announced its split from the coalition in July 2022, after forming the APNU/AFC seven years prior. Then AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan had said that the smaller party was “unafraid” of the consequences to come and was unprepared to give up any of its parliamentary seats.
When the split was announced, Ramjattan had said that the AFC would only consider entering into a new coalition with the APNU closer to the next General and Regional Elections due in 2025.
While the AFC had announced its decision to remain in the coalition with APNU until the expiry of the Cummingsburg Accord in December 2022, no definitive position was shared regarding the party’s way forward until this announcement.
The AFC had joined hands with the APNU to contest the 2015 General and Regional Elections and the coalition subsequently won. The parties signed the Cummingsburg Accord, which outlined the parliamentary seats and ministerial portfolios for AFC and APNU members, respectively.
However, APNU, led by former President David Granger, had been accused of continuously violating the accord. On December 24, 2019, after much back and forth between APNU and the AFC, a revised Cummingsburg Accord was signed, but the full details were never released to the public.
Since it came into office after joining forces with the APNU in 2015, the minority AFC has been criticised for the submissive role it has been playing to the APNU. Decisions the former Government made, such as the closure of sugar estates, which put thousands of sugar workers out of jobs, were passed unchallenged and even supported by the AFC. This is despite the AFC retaining the Agriculture Ministry.
This passive relationship with APNU was cited by former AFC parliamentarian Charrandas Persaud, as one of the reasons he voted for the No-Confidence Motion that brought down the APNU/AFC Government in 2018.
The AFC meanwhile has new leadership in the form of Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes, who has himself faced backlash over his association with oil giant ExxonMobil, which is a major client of his law firm Hughes, Fields and Stoby.