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The Alliance For Change (AFC) at its Seventh Annual Conference held June 11, 2022 voted not to renew the Cummingburg Accord when it ends December 31, 2022. This agreement, established between the AFC and A Partnership of National Unity (APNU+AFC), saw a coalition formation to contest the 2015 General and Regional Elections (GRE). It was renewed in 2019 for another three years.
As the agreement is about to end in a few days speculations are rife about the future relationship between the coalition partners given they participated in the 2022 GRE as a unitary force, represented on a single list. AFC Leader and Member of Parliament, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, has sought to clarify the party’s position.
Appearing recently on a programme Ramjattan expressly stated:-
“When we went into the election we went in with a list called APNU+AFC and based on the arrangement under that we won nine parliamentary seats. The Cummingsburg Accord has a certain tenure (life) about it and we could have brought it to an end within three- five years. The 3 years is ending on 31st December, 2022 because it was made sometime around December I think 2019.
“But, we are not in any way declaring that we are against APNU List, hence the need for the recall of our nine parliamentarians. I have made it quite clear in my last press conference that we are going to indeed going to work at a parliamentary level; our nine parliamentarian with the APNU parliamentarians, for purposes of ensuring that we bring out all these nastiness like this Charrandass issue, like that company that is now building the gas-to-shore bridge, a US$10 Million company doing a billion-dollars project.
“We will collectively at the parliamentary level bring out all these things and so there should be no fear, in my opinion, as to our AFC nine parliamentary seats.
“I will be having meetings with Aubrey Norton [Leader of the Opposition and APNU], and of course the Leader of the List, as Leader of the AFC to [address the matter]. You know a lot of people are now concerned, and the PPP will do its disinformation and misinformation and fake news.”
The Representative of the List (i.e. Leader) is former President David Granger. Ramjattan is List’s No. 2 (i.e. Deputy Leader)
AFC Chair, Mrs. Cathy Hughes, told Village Voice last July the party recognises it has to focus, rebuild, be stronger, to bring to any coalition that might emerge again. At this juncture, she said, “the focus is looking inwards to the AFC and rebuilding the AFC, strengthening and establishing new groups.”
Click the link below to watch the video statement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZjoUy5g2Lw&ab_channel=CredibleSources
