The leadership of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) have agreed to work towards the formation of a coalition to contest the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
The two sides reached the agreement during a meeting today, which they have said represented the first in a series of meetings to take place.
The PNCR’s delegation was led by Party Leader, Aubrey C. Norton and included Party Chairman, Shurwayne Holder and General Secretary, Sherwin Benjamin while the WPA’s delegation was led by Co-Leader, Dr. David Hinds and included Co-Leaders Tacuma Ogunseye and Rohit Kanhai and party Chairman, Deon Abrams.
In a joint statement, the PNCR and the WPA said the agreement is in response to calls by opposition supporters for a show of unity among opposition parties as the country prepares for the upcoming General and Regional Elections.
The PNCR and the WPA were among parties that formed A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).
Ahead of the 2015 Elections, the APNU coalesced with the Alliance For Change (AFC), and successfully won the 2015 Elections, however, both the WPA and the AFC exited the coalition following its defeat in 2020.
According to the statement, the PNCR and the WPA today discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the APNU+AFC Coalition both in and out of office, and committed themselves to correcting the flaws identified.
“Some of the issues discussed include the role of small parties in coalition decision making, the need for a joint, integrated platform, mechanisms to mitigate conflicts within the coalition and for the constituent parties to act in unison even as they retain their independence,” the statement read.
The possibility of the WPA returning to the APNU was also discussed, the statement said.
In the end, it was agreed that despite mistakes, coalition politics remain a best option for the country.
As such, the parties decided in principle to work jointly at two levels.
“First, it was agreed that the work of the Joint Opposition Parties should be broadened to include other forms of political engagement. Second, the parties agreed to begin discussions towards the formation of a coalition to contest the upcoming elections, but to leave the door open for other parties which may wish to join,” the statement said.
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