PNCR and WPA agree to form coalition ahead of elections

Dec 12, 2024 News

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—to leave room for other parties to join

Kaieteur News- The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) have agreed to work toward forming a coalition to contest next year’s general and regional elections, the parties said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

The parties met on Wednesday in the first of a series of planned meetings. According to the release, in a frank discussion, the two parties exchanged views on the current political situation, including the need to ensure that the coming elections are conducted in a manner that enjoys the confidence of all parties. Towards this end, it was agreed that the work started by the Joint Opposition Parties (PNCR and WPA) should be expanded and intensified.

According to the release, the parties also engaged in a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the APNU+AFC Coalition both in and out of office and committed themselves to correcting the flaws identified. Some of the issues discussed include the role of small parties in coalition decision-making, the need for a joint, integrated platform, mechanisms to mitigate conflicts within the coalition and for the constituent parties to act in unison even as they retain their independence. The possibility of the WPA returning to the APNU was also discussed. In the end, it was agreed that despite mistakes, coalition politics remains a best option for the country.

Against that background, the two parties decided in principle to work jointly at two levels. First, it was agreed that the work of the Joint Opposition Parties should be broadened to include other forms of political engagement. Second, the parties agreed to begin discussions towards the formation of a coalition to contest the upcoming elections, but to leave the door open for other parties which may wish to join. A second meeting has been before the Christmas holidays.

The PNCR delegation was led by Party Leader, Aubrey C. Norton and included Party Chairman, Shurwayne Holder and General Secretary, Sherwin Benjamin. The WPA delegation was led by Co-Leader, Dr. David Hinds and included Co-Leaders Tacuma Ogunseye and Rohit Kanhai and party Chairman, Deon Abrams.

Only last week Kaieteur News reported David Hinds saying that the WPA will support a grand coalition of opposition parties to fight the ruling PPP/Civic at next year’s general and regional elections. Hinds was asked to clarify if there were talks on rejoining the APNU coalition and to also explain the difference between a coalition and a grand coalition. He told reporters that, “WPA is in no talks to rejoin APNU. WPA has not signaled that it will rejoin APNU. WPA is interested in a grand coalition to contest the next elections. We are in no talks to rejoin APNU. We have not said we will rejoin APNU.”

Dr. Hinds explained that under the APNU+AFC Government, the WPA was subsumed, and decisions were made for the party by the leader of the coalition, who were also the leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR). He clarified that this was the reason they left the coalition, because they did not have an independent identity and this applied to parliamentary representation as well. “At the moment, we do not belong to the APNU, and our engagement with the other parties would be as WPA, and not a party that is subsumed under the APNU. We are not a member of the APNU, we are not in talks with the PNC or anybody towards rejoining the APNU,” he said.

Currently, the party is in constant contact with the leadership of both the PNC and the Alliance For Change (AFC), in terms of forming an opposition coalition, with each party acting in its own name and not as part of the APNU. “PNC uses PNC/APNU and that is for the PNC to explain, but we intend to engage our partners as WPA,” he stated.

Dr. Hinds explained that with the APNU, it was a partnership of parties, whereby it was a number of parties and those parties under the rubric of APNU+AFC, so APNU+AFC was the grand coalition. APNU was a partnership of parties that came together under an agreement and they contested the elections as APNU not as PNC, not as GAP, not as WPA, etc.  “That was a partnership which is different from a grand coalition that included APNU and AFC. Going as an independent party in a grand coalition, you go with your own identity. That is the first thing the AFC went into the elections as AFC, they weren’t subsumed under the partnership and we would prefer to go into the election as part of a coalition as WPA so that our identity is not smothered,” he explained.

Furthermore, within a grand coalition, Hinds said “everybody should have an equal say in arriving at decisions, and it is not about whether you represent more people or not; it is whether your ideas on a particular issue are correct. You can’t make decisions on policies based on the number of people you represent. Look at the PPP, they represent half of the electorate, they represent half of the electorate and look what they are doing, look at what they are doing with the cash grant, and other things. So, decision-making cannot be based on how many people you represent,” Dr. Hinds said.

(PNCR and WPA agree to form coalition ahead of elections Norton)

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• discussion of the strengths, forming a coalition, PNCR and WPA agree to form coalition ahead of elections, PPP/Civic, two parties

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