–coalition committed to “inclusionary democracy at all costs”.
By Michael Younge
APNU Presidential Candidate David Granger
Presidential Candidate for the opposition coalition group, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Retired Brigadier General David Granger says that if the group fails to win the upcoming elections, it would consider working with the successful political party even if it is the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic. This decision, he stated, would only be undertaken under certain clear conditions and within the context or realm of what he referred to as “inclusionary democracy”. Granger expressed these sentiments during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Times International at the People’s National Congress Reform Headquarters, Sophia, Georgetown where he stated clearly that the winner-take-all system has not worked for Guyana and his coalition group is committed towards the development of a government of national unity.
“If in the unlikely event of the APNU not winning the next elections, we will continue our policies. It is not an elections gimmick. It is not a slogan. We believe in power sharing. We believe in national unity and inclusionary democracy”, Granger posited.
He was firm that once the policies and economic ideologies of APNU are respected and would be enforced then it is possible that his group would forge a partnership with any successful party to take Guyana forward, even the PPP/ C. “We will work even with the PPP…”, Granger explained.
He said it is time for change in Guyana and his coalition group has been preaching this message at all of its public meetings and engagements. He said the other political parties are responsible for the lack of change in the country because they have refused to join the coalition and hence to be part of the proposed government of national unity.
Granger slams Ramjattan
Granger said that the Alliance For Change (AFC), The United Force (TUF) and the ruling party have opted not to be part of the coalition from the inception, explaining that the “door still remains open and the lights are on”. He criticised the Alliance for Change and its presidential candidate Khemraj Ramjattan for deciding to stand alone during this critical election in the history of this country. “It is regrettable that he used the word ‘never’ because circumstances have changed”, Granger told Guyana Times International as he reported that the members that had left the PNC/ R during the last election to join the AFC camp have been returning while others have expressed the desire to do so.
Several other opposition political leaders have chastised the AFC for not opting into the coalition, stating that they have sealed their ‘fate’ and have become too ‘proud’ ahead of the elections which will not go in their favour because of their ‘selfish’ stance during the critical period.
Asked why long-standing PNC/R Leader and former presidential candidate Robert Corbin was not blazing the elections trail with the cadre of APNU leaders, Granger stated that “Corbin was working behind the scene and did not want to steal any of the attention” from the front runners.
He advised that the PNC/R leader who had survived several challenges to his leadership was “making contributions to APNU but was not running for office”, explaining that as the core reason why he was not on any of the coalition’s political or campaign platforms.
Addressing concerns about the lack of popularity of the APNU symbols and leaders during public meetings across the country, a confident Granger said this has been a challenge from the time the partnership was birthed but suggested that people have overcome it and were cognisant of what the coalition symbol looks like and where they needed to place their ‘x’ on elections day. He informed that he has been campaigning with leaders from all seven of the small political parties that comprise APNU across the country giving examples to those he travelled with to meetings at Bartica, Essequibo and other places.
Granger locked in the past?
Speaking more specifically about the criticisms levelled against him by the ruling party, which alleged that he was “locked in the past” and had no real plan for Guyana’s development which was in sync with future thinking, Granger argued that he has been campaigning around change and development. “I was the one who said that I would make Georgetown an internet hotspot… I was the one who said I would make Bartica a town… I spoke about fixing the education system… I spoke about the creation of jobs and making Guyana a safer country.
Isn’t that speaking about my plan for the country’s future?” he quizzed.
He refuted all arguments that were being peddled in certain sections of the media that, “he had blood on his hands” and was still locked and associated with the “dark ages of Guyana’s development under the PNC/R regime”. He suggested that the allegations have impacted on his image publicly and have slandered his character, vowing that he will address them at a later stage.
