GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The main opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Wednesday said it would continue talks with other opposition parties after the Alliance for Change (AFC) this week blanked the idea of forming an accommodation with any other political party to contest the 2011 general elections in Guyana.
The PNCR said that a meeting of the Joint Opposition Political Parties (JOPP) held on Tuesday agreed to “continue with its initiative to form a broad partnership to contest the next general elections and will continue its consultations with all interested political parties, interest groups and organisations to achieve this objective”
It said that the JOPP had agreed, at a previous meeting, to delay the process of consultation to await a definitive position from the AFC.
The AFC said over the weekend, its National Executive Committee (NEC) met to discuss the issue and in a statement said while it was the “unanimous view” of the members present at the party’s conventions in 2007 and 2009 that alliances be forged with interested parties and organizations, “the deliberations were centred on the various options relating to how and with whom these alliances and partnerships should be forged”
It said the “majority decision” was that the AFC, “as early as is possible, proceed to forge alliances with civic society groups, like-minded political entities, and even personalities from both the PPP/C and the PNCR, but not with the PPP/C or the PNCR as political organisations”.
The AFC, which holds five seats in Parliament, said that the pre-election exclusion of the two main parties from the process of alliance building and partnership “was in recognition that these two parties are wholly incompatible with the AFC, which is the Party of the future”.
But the PNCR said that the JOPP felt that the “future of the citizens of Guyana was too important, at this time, to put the process on hold.
“Consequently, the process would be advanced, notwithstanding the decision of the National Executive Committee of the AFC,” it said, adding that the “consensus is that the development of Guyana and the future of its citizens demand urgent progressive action which must involve all who are concerned about Guyana.
“Among the groups to be consulted will be all interested political parties, trade unions, religious and cultural organisations, business organisations, professional organisations and other civil society groups,” the PNCR said.
It said that a technical team, representing various stakeholders, “has been authorised to continue the finalisation of a draft Statement of Principles to guide the broad partnership.
“This draft Statement of Principles will be the subject of discussion with interested parties during the process of consultation. The details, such as the structure and modalities of the proposed broad partnership, would be finalised with the full participation of all interested parties,” The PNCR said, promising that the “public will be kept updated on the progress”.
In June, the ruling People’s progressive Party Civic (PPP/C party) brushed aside reports that the two main opposition parties were considering an alliance to remove it from office.
PPP/C general secretary Donald Ramotar said in a statement that “our coalition is far superior to any other coalition that the opposition could put together”.
An opinion poll conducted by the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES) found that a combined opposition could end the ruling party’s 18-year hold on power.
But the PPP/C has dismissed the poll as an “unrealistic political tactic”.
CMC/pr/10
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