Nagamootoo, Ramjattan and Trotman to battle for AFC Leadership

The Alliance for Change in a statement on Wednesday, announced that incumbent Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, former Leader Raphael Trotman and Vice Chairman, Moses Nagamootoo, have all been nominated for the position of leader of the party.

Nagamootoo, Ramjattan and Trotman to battle for AFC Leadership

When delegates and members of the Alliance For Change meet this coming Saturday at the Vreed-en-Hoop Primary School for their Congress, three of the party senior members will face off for the top position of Party Leader.  It will mark the first time that there will not be a lone nominee for the post.

The Alliance for Change in a statement on Wednesday, announced that incumbent Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, former Leader Raphael Trotman and Vice Chairman, Moses Nagamootoo, have all been nominated for the position of leader of the party.

The AFC is one of the main partners in the coalition government.  Mr. Nagamootoo serves as the Prime Minister, Mr. Ramjattan is the Minister of Public Security and Mr.  Trotman is the Minister of Natural Resources.

Ramjattan is seeking a third term as party leader. Many senior party members believe he should withdraw from the race, having served two terms. They believe that he should allow the party’s rotation formula to remain in place.

According to the AFC’s Constitution, “The various senior positions of the AFC, including those in the National Executive, Regions and Groups ought to be rotated as far as is possible so that no member is allowed to serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office, so as to ensure a broader activism in leadership positions by the membership.”

In a statement last weekend, the party said the Constitution does not make it mandatory for such rotation and leaves room for the membership to nominate or elect leaders to continue in a post for a longer period, adding that “the larger membership may want this recognition of the experience and expertise of certain leaders, and in the interest of the unity of the party’s leadership”.

However, Raphael Trotman, who is a co-founder of the AFC and a former Leader said although the word “ought” was used instead of “shall”, the framers of the constitution clearly wanted the rotation process to be in place.  He was one of the framers of the AFC Constitution.

At the Saturday Congress, the party will also be electing members to other executive positions.

See full Leadership nomination list below:

LEADER:

  1. Khemraj Ramjattan – incumbent
  2. Moses Nagamootoo
  3. Raphael Trotman

 

CHAIRMAN:

  1. Moses Nagamootoo – acting incumbent
  2. Catherine Hughes
  3. Khemraj Ramjattan
  4. Raphael Trotman

 

VICE CHAIRMAN:

  1. Moses Nagamootoo – incumbent
  2. Valerie Garrido-Lowe
  3. Catherine Hughes
  4. Audwin Rutherford
  5. Raphael Trotman

 

GENERAL SECRETARY:

  1. David Patterson – incumbent
  2. Michael Carrington
  3. Alison Mohamed
  4. Marlon Williams

The Returning Officer for the elections will be Mr. Clayton Hall.

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