Amid speculation about the coalition’s dwindling support, Working People’s Alliance (WPA) member and Public Service Minister Rupert Roopnaraine on Wednesday said he still has faith in the coalition Government.
Roopnaraine, who was questioned about WPA’s position on the coalition Government, has stated that although the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) executives have not been able to sit down and have a discussion, he does believe that the coalition is the way to go.
When asked if the WPA is considering leaving the coalition, Roopnaraine stated, “That to my mind would be a serious matter, which we would need to engage thoroughly. I can tell you from the start that they would have a hard time convincing me that this (leaving) is a good idea.”
He then went on to say, “I think the coalition with all of its difficulties is the way forward for us. I don’t believe that any singular party can really accomplish this
WPA Executive and Public Service Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine
task ahead of us.”
Roopnaraine further disclosed, however, that he did not see a problem with reviewing the Cummingsburg Accord. He noted that there were provisions that were made in the Accord for certain situations, and those situations have since evolved, hence a revision is desirable. “Those things have changed. It’s not biblical, we can certainly look at it again and see whether it’s doing what we expected it to do and if it hasn’t, then we should review it and amend it,” the Minister noted.
He revealed that there were no fixed plans to review the Accord, but when and if there was, he would welcome the initiative.
Additionally, Roopnaraine was questioned on whether or not he believed that the coalition would have the same level of support for the 2020 elections. In response, Roopnaraine expressed hope that the Government could hold on to its supporters highlighting that the only way to be sure of this was by interacting with the citizenry.
“We need to go down into the communities and see what kind of response we get and what criticisms we get,” he stated.
He further noted, “I think the only way to reorganise the coalition is to reorganise it from the community up.”
