The AFC’s value to the coalition

Dear Editor,
Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Justice Claudette Singh has written President David Granger informing him that the Commission would be ready to host General and Regional Elections by the end of February 2020.

Realistically speaking, that means Elections can be held as early as March 2020.
I was particularly pleased to read an article published in another newspaper on September 19, 2019, which was headlined, “APNU, AFC agree on core principles”. This means that progress is being made to finalise the Cummingsburg Accord.

Editor, while I am satisfied that the APNU and the AFC are moving towards the finalisation of the Accord, I am concerned about 60/40 split of ministerial positions as obtained in the 2015 Accord.
Should the AFC receive the same portfolios it holds if the Coalition Government is re-elected come 2020? Think about it, the AFC lost badly in the Local Government Elections when it decided to contest those elections alone. It was the AFC’s former member Charrandass Persaud who joined forces with the PPP causing the no-confidence motion against the Government to be passed.

Let’s take a look at the performance of the AFC in those portfolios to which they currently enjoy.
The AFC currently holds responsibility for, in addition to the Prime Ministerial position, Public Infrastructure, Agriculture, Public Security, Public Telecommunications, Business and Tourism.

The Agricultural Sector has been a massive disappointment. We have only seen the Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder and heard from him during sittings of the National Assembly.

The Minister of Public Infrastructure may be the most successful of the AFC ministers, but he too is not without fault.
The Public Telecommunications Minister, Catherine Hughes has struggled to achieve liberalisation, a major promise by the coalition Government; the Ministry of Business seems to be operating in a world of its own; The Minister of Public Security’s focus seems to be set on becoming the Prime Ministerial candidate and the development of a robust tourism sector is yet to be seen. Editor, what has happened to the promise of constitutional reform?

Editor, the Minister of Natural Resources has been accused of being involved in corruption, so much so, that President Granger took full control of the oil and gas sector.

The President is a man of impeccable character and seems to defend his ministers publicly, but I am sure the thought would have crossed his mind that the AFC has failed to bring anything of substance to the coalition table since the Government took office. Notwithstanding, the APNU ministers are also not without fault.

Editor, I have noted the letter attributed to Mr. Charles Ceres in the media two days ago, which spoke to the performance of the AFC ministries.

The content of Mr. Ceres’ letter is the unbridled truth.
Given all the failures the AFC has brought to the coalition, should they really be allowed to make demands in its negotiations with the APNU to put together the Cummingsburg Accord?

As reported by the other newspaper on September 19, 2019, “the sides agreed too that the prerogative of the President to appoint members of cabinet and ministers and to assign specific ministerial portfolios is explicitly embodied in the Constitution and is inviolable.”

It is hoped that President Granger would in his negotiations with the AFC take into full account the performance of the AFC. The President has to weigh the positives with the negatives.

If re-elected can the President afford to have the AFC return to those same ministries where they have failed?
Moreover, it was pleasing to see the two sides agreed to cultivate respectful relations and to at all times, act collectively in the best interest of the coalition.

“They also agreed to speak with one voice on issues of public policy, to support a common manifesto and to issue joint media bulletins and releases on electoral matters,” the newspaper report said.

The fact that the two sides have already agreed to inform the other in advance of its inability at any time to support any measure in the National Assembly is testimony to the lapse, which transpired in December 2018 in the National Assembly.

Regards,
Ryan Maraj