Granger unilaterally creates criteria to select APNU/AFC MPs

…slanted to eliminate competitors from old guard

Leader of A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), David Granger, as Head of his list, has laid down a number of criteria for members of his party to be chosen for Parliament.

It is understood that on Monday morning during a meeting, Granger stipulated that he wants fewer lawyers and more diversity in professional occupations in the National Assembly.
The 11th Parliament had featured a number of lawyers on the APNU/AFC side. They had included Moses Nagamootoo, Raphael Trotman, Khemraj Ramjattan and Joseph Harmon. But despite the proliferation of lawyers, APNU/AFC in Government constantly fell afoul of the Constitution after it lost the no-confidence vote in December 2018.
Another stipulation Granger reportedly made was the desire for more youths and women in the National Assembly. A frequent criticism the former President faced after winning the 2015 election was the number of elderly Ministers in his then Cabinet and as Heads of agencies.
On that note, Granger has reportedly informed his party that members who have extensive parliamentary experience should not expect to be selected. With 31 seats to fill, APNU/AFC will have its work cut out seeking to push more youth to the forefront of the party.

Youthful Cabinet
This is especially so since the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has already won praise for its youthful Cabinet, sworn in on Thursday last. Persons had posited that APNU/AFC would have no choice but to match this youthfulness in the National Assembly and give the youths in its party responsibilities and a voice they did not have during its tenure in office.
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has already initiated the process of appointing a new batch of parliamentarians to serve in the legislative branch of Government.
Last week, the Office of the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, dispatched letters to political parties, informing them of their requirement to identify their candidates to take up seats in the 65-seat National Assembly.
The CEO’s final elections report shows that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) secured 33 parliamentary seats while the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition won 31.
The joinder parties – A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), and The New Movement (TNM) – gained one seat. They have already selected LJP Leader Lenox Shuman as their parliamentary representative.

No submissions
However, the Government and Opposition are yet to submit their selection of names to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the respective role of Members of Parliament to sit in the 12th Parliament of Guyana.
This was relayed to Guyana Times on Tuesday by the Secretariat’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, who noted that correspondence was sent out to all parties, signalling the requirement to produce their lists.
After the swearing-in of President Irfaan Ali on August 2, GECOM had initiated the process of appointing a new batch of parliamentarians to serve in the legislative branch of Government.
Political parties are required to extract names of individuals from their respective lists and submit that information to the CEO, who will then prepare certificates to be dispatched to the potential MPs. (G3)