BY: SABATINI DANIELS
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Chairman David Granger said there is nothing vindictive about the recent move by three Alliance For Change (AFC) members to defect to his party. “These are serious academics who want to make a contribution to national unity and national development, and they felt that their opinions and advice were not being adhered to where they were before,” said Granger.
Granger said he does not envisage the three AFC members who recently defected to APNU causing any challenges or rifts between the two parties.
The three who crossed over to APNU are economist Dr Tarron Khemraj, Political Science Professor, Dr Asquith Rose and businessman Rab Mukraj.
Responding to questions posed at APNU’s weekly press conference at his office at Hadfield Street, Georgetown last Friday, Granger stated that he does not see the trio shifting towards APNU as opposing the AFC, but rather as “advancing the agenda for national unity and human development”.
“We are not a hunting party, we are simply building a momentum and a movement so that like-minded people from civil society or any other organisation are free to come onboard and advance these two aims,” said Granger.
The AFC defectors, he disclosed, will now join APNU’s American group, noting that they were not offered any executive positions within the coalition.
Exclusion
Khemraj told Guyana Times International last week that it was the AFC that left him and not he who left the party, pointing out that since the 2011 general election to now, the party did not seek his advice on any issue or decision it made.
He said during the pre-election period, the party regularly obtained his input, but even with regard to the Amaila Falls hydropower project, it did not seek his advice.
The crossover of these three members followed the resignation of Dr Shamir Andrew Ally, who was a member of the New York Chapter.
