Hughes, Duncan and Patterson nominated for AFC Leader

Prominent Attorney and former Chairman of the Alliance for Change, Nigel Hughes and Opposition Members of Parliament Sherod Duncan and David Patterson have been nominated for the position of Leader of the AFC.

The party hosted its nomination day today as part of the preparations for its National Conference and Elections, set for the 29th June.

Sherod Duncan is the current General Secretary of the AFC, while David Patterson who also sits on the Executive is a former General Secretary and Nigel Hughes once served as the party’s Chairman.

Party groups have up to midnight tonight to submit their nominations for the key party positions.

AFC Executive, Juretha Fernandes, who sits on the Membership and Registration Committee, told News Source today that the regional groups have been submitting their nominees.

“We accept nominations from the Regions, so the Regions have their processes that they go through prior, decisions are made at the regional level, and then the region submits a nomination on behalf of the RMC, which is the Regional Management Committee. In addition to that, I can say, we are accepting nominations both physically and digitally. We made provisions for persons who are in the hinterland region, so that they don’t have that hassle of getting a physical document here by 12,” Fernandes explained.

In addition to the 10 Administrative Regions, nominations are also coming in from the diaspora groups located in the Caribbean and the United States.

Fernandes, who is also a current Opposition Member of Parliament, said the process has been progressing smoothly, with critical steps taken to ensure transparency.

“I am part of the Membership and Registration Committee, and one of the things that we are doing here today is making sure that there is full transparency in the process. So, if you look around you will see a number of different persons here that are here to scrutinize the process, so that there is full transparency. Persons that have interest in the system, that maybe vying for positions are here also. Everyone is present to make sure that there is nothing that is questioned at the end of the day,” she explained.

Current Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, who is not seeking re-election, said he was pleased with the manner in which the nomination process was executed.

Ramjattan said it was time to give the younger generation a chance to lead the party.

“I am not seeking re-elections as Leader of the Party. I want a different set, a younger set, and the old heads like me want to create space for other people, and there will be the political competitions for the senior leadership of the party, and our national conference will make the decision on that,” he said.

Chairman of the AFC, Cathy Hughes told News Source that the nomination process forms part of the critical steps in the lead up to the party’s National Conference and Elections.

“I am really happy to say that the Alliance For Change is definitely, the only smaller party, the third force we are, that actually have a national conference, that goes through the rigorous requirements of being a legitimate acceptable political party. And, as all Guyana would know, we have been around since 2005, and we have played a dominant role in Guyanese politics and we will continue to ensure that in 2025, we are a strong viable option for Guyanese.”

More than 300 delegates are expected to participate in the upcoming National Conference, as the AFC readies itself for next year’s general elections. (Svetlana Marshall)