AFC went ‘berserk’ during Coalition talks – PNC executive

More confusion has surfaced over Monday’s desperate attempt by the Alliance for Change (AFC) to get back into coalition talks with the APNU Coalition, of which the People’s National Congress (PNC) is the only substantial party.

“Had the AFC stuck close to its very first proposal of several months ago…instead of abruptly going berserk (sorry) during the talks…an Accord could have been signed months ago,” said Sherwood Lowe, a PNC executive said early Thursday morning.

Reeling from shock after three of its Parliamentarians walked out the door without a word and crossed over to APNU, the AFC scrambled Wednesday to address the issue and the rejection of its efforts at a Coalition.

From tough negotiator to pleader, AFC seeks Norton’s blessing as it lowers coalition demands

After its demand to choose its presidential candidate Nigel Hughes was blanked, the AFC decided to bargain for a chance to choose the Prime Ministerial Candidate, but that suggestion, along with all others, was quickly dumped by the Aubrey Norton-led APNU.

It sought to suggest that this position, where the AFC would choose the Prime Ministerial Candidate, was agreed to by APNU, stating that “this last proposal gave APNU all they have been asking for to agree to a coalition.”

But Lowe, in a statement to the press, said APNU never proposed to name a Prime Ministerial candidate in a possible coalition with the AFC.

However, after talks broke down, APNU opted to name its own candidate.

“What APNU communicated to the AFC, through the intermediary, was that, given the lateness of the hour, it had taken a decision to select its own PM candidate,” Lowe said in a statement issued on Thursday.

It was widely reported that AFC’s Juretha Fernandes was tapped to be APNU’s Prime Ministerial candidate. The AFC later cancelled her membership and that of two other members who defected to APNU – Sherod Duncan and Deonarine Ramsaroop.

Ganesh is out as Juretha tapped to be PM candidate for APNU

For months now, APNU and AFC have been involved in talks to revive a coalition ahead of the 2025 elections.

Lowe pointed to why the talks collapsed: “…Had the AFC stuck close to its very first proposal of several months ago… when it then proposed the very 65 (APNU)/35 (AFC) and agreed that APNU shall name the representative of the list (ROL), among other sensible positions … instead of abruptly going berserk (sorry) during the talks (by, for example, asking for a 60% stake in the coalition and changing its mind on who should name the ROL), an Accord could have been signed months ago.”