Dear Editor,
This Press Statement seeks to inform the media, the Guyanese public and especially supporters of A Partnership for National Unity of our current status, the changes that have occurred, decisions made and where we go from here.
APNU met on June 6th, 2024 and deliberated on the major issue of no meetings being held since January 25, 2022. Recognizing that emails were sent on June 3rd and June 5th, 2024 to Mr. Aubrey Norton, MP requesting a meeting of the APNU on the 6th June and his non attendance, we were forced to make the decision that our stagnation for over two years needed to be rectified.
The Executive Committee Members agreed on June 6th 2024 that a new Chairman and General Secretary be elected for a period of 6 months or until consensus is reached on an alternative way forward. The Executives then elected Mr. Vincent Henry, MP to the position of Chair and Mrs. Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, MP to the position of General Secretary. Since those elections two other Executive Meetings were held of which all Executive Members were invited. However, neither Mr. Aubrey Norton, MP nor a representative of the PNCR attended any of the three executive committee meetings held on June 6th, 2024, July 15th, 2024 and July 29th, 2024.
It must be noted here that the People’s National Congress Reform is an integral part of the APNU and as we continue to prepare for the 2025 elections, we hope that the PNCR would find it necessary and important to attend meetings when those meetings are called.
Listed below are some salient decisions made by the current and functioning APNU
Executive:
- The APNU Executive shall meet at least once per quarter or more frequently if deemed necessary, to deliberate on any and all matters pertaining to the partnership.
- Each Executive in the partnership is entitled to one vote on any matter that cannot be decided on by consensus. However, the chairman will have a casting vote.
- The Chair is to be elected for a term of one year. There shall be no term limits.
- The election of chair shall be held on a date to be determined in the first month of each new year.
- Standard Operating Procedure/ Document titled “Responsibilities and duties of the Chair” will be prepared and signed by anyone who becomes Chair of the APNU.
- Our second core principle (clause 2) informs us that:
“Membership of the Coalition will be open to all Guyanese parties, organizations and citizens who subscribe to these core principles and to its social, political and economic programme.”
Therefore, the APNU will now consist of the Executive Committee, Associate Members and Individual Members’ components.
The Executive Committee is currently made up of the leaders of the political parties as part of the coalition. Non- governmental and civil society organizations have been Associate Members of the APNU, this will continue. The enacting of the Individual Membership Component of Clause 2 of the Core Principles is due to the recognition that many citizens including young people are desirous of being associated with and become supporters of the APNU. The Executive shall in its own deliberate judgment determine the eligibility of a representative from the Associate Members’ Component and/or the Individual Members’ Component to sit on the Executive Committee of the APNU.
Though the individual member’s principle has always been there, this aspect was never implemented. Our understanding of the current electorate and the reality that a broad-based coalition will be necessary to ensure we have all like-minded individuals working together to regain government in 2025, have led us to believe that now is the best time to open up membership to individuals.
We in the APNU are convinced that a positive transformation of Guyana can only be achieved by an inclusive electoral coalition built around the political parties, organised labour, farmers’ organizations, community-based organisations, faith based organizations, civil society bodies and patriotic citizens committed to develop Guyana into a united, stable and prosperous nation where the well being of each citizen is assured, irrespective of ethnicity, social status, gender, or religion.
Come join us as we join forces with like-minded Guyanese to build a better future for our children and grandchildren. Soft copies of our membership forms are available at https://forms.gle/hBTwtWeuC7HW1aWw9 and interested persons can email us at apnugy2025@gmail.com if they would like to be a member. Please note that any applicant for membership will be vetted
Yours truly,
APNU
