Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Nigel Hughes, confirmed Friday that the party had agreed to accept Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton as the presidential candidate for a renewed A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition. The party is however asking for conditions in the coalition that aim at ensuring fairness and shared governance. Those conditions, Hughes said, were flatly rejected by the PNCR.
“The AFC accepted APNU’s nominee for presidential candidate, a major step forward for compromise,” Hughes told reporters. “But that proposal—with its conditions—was not accepted.”
According to reports, the AFC had proposed a more balanced Cabinet share, reportedly pushing for a 50/50 split in contrast to APNU’s 70/30 offer. The AFC also called for joint agreement on the coalition’s list leader, and the inclusion of qualified civil society voices in a future Cabinet.
“We didn’t insist on positions; we insisted on principles,” Hughes emphasised. “This isn’t about personalities—it’s about a better kind of politics.”
Hughes revealed that the AFC even proposed consensus candidates with broader national appeal, such as former Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, but all suggestions were dismissed.
“Only one party insisted on a specific candidate without compromise,” Hughes said. “That insistence—not any action by the AFC—has hindered meaningful progress toward unity.”
Despite the deadlock, Hughes said the AFC remains open to dialogue, but not under terms that replicate past imbalances.
“We will not return to a coalition model where imbalance is the norm and accountability is optional,” he warned.
Meanwhile, APNU Executive Member Ganesh Mahipaul said the PNCR remains committed to coalition politics and is ready to re-engage the AFC.
Hughes closed with a call for unity that offers Guyanese a genuine alternative to the ruling PPP.
“We did not ask for all, we asked for what was fair”
