The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has disclosed that it is looking to replace Member of Parliament (MP) Debra Backer, who is expected to retire from Parliament as a result of illness before the commencement of the 2014 national budget debate.
According to Opposition Leader David Granger, the coalition is looking for a replacement for the deputy speaker and frontbencher. He was at the time speaking during an interview with this newspaper. While Granger did not directly state that Backer will be resigning, he noted that the MP is expected to make an announcement soon, after which the party will take appropriate actions. However, he noted that the party is taking precautionary measures in the event of her resignation.
Backer took ill late last year and was hospitalised for several weeks at a local hospital. She was then taken overseas for further treatment. There have been reports of medical doctor Karen Cummings, being one of the several persons under consideration to replace Backer. When asked by this newspaper to confirm this, Granger maintained that the Coalition is looking at several persons.
“We are receiving advice and looking at several persons that were recommended and will select someone who will advance the interest of A Partnership for National Unity,” he stated.
Questioned about whether the party is looking to specifically replace Backer with a female, the opposition leader pointed out that there is a certain approach to the process, adding that though gender is one of the main factors being looked at, there are other criteria.
“We are looking for people from different geographical areas, we don’t want everybody coming from urban areas,” he said. Dr Cummings is from the East Coast Demerara village of Victoria.
Other criteria
In addition, Granger added that qualifications and age are some of the other factors the Coalition is looking at. With this in mind, it should be noted that Dr Cummings is in her (40s) and apart from being a medical professional; she has also substantial experience in the field of politics.
There was talk of former People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) MP Aubrey Norton taking the position; however, from comments made by the APNU leader, it is clear that the party is looking to have a gender balance in the National Assembly. “The APNU, and certainly the PNCR, which is a part of the APNU, would like to see balanced and in fact, the PNCR component of APNU was pretty balanced in the National Assembly,” he stated.
Dr Cummings was a new face on the APNU list of candidates during the 2011 election campaign. In an interview with this publication at the time, Dr Cummings had said that her move to support APNU is not a new one. She stated then that while she has not been open about her political affiliations, she has always supported the People’s National Congress (PNC).
Always supportive
“I was not openly supportive, but I supported the party. I had gotten a scholarship to do a degree, I benefited from free nursery to tertiary education. I benefited under the PNC,” she said.
She believes that APNU has a lot to offer Guyana, more particularly in the area of development and opportunities for the young.
