APNU and AFC talks expected to end on Valentine’s Day

APNU and AFC talks expected to end on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day will be the day when the opposition parties are expected to end their courtship and decide whether they will get together or continue on their separate ways.  The “courtship” has been ongoing for weeks now.

Although the Alliance for Change (AFC) is getting ready to update its executives on the status of talks between itself and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) during a special conference set for Valentine’s Day, February 14, the party remains secretive and eluded questions in this regard during a press conference on Thursday.

Party leaders would only say that the discussions are intense and that there was no need to doubt the success of those talks which are intended to result in a pre-elections coalition with the aim of unseating the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C).

The AFC and APNU signed a nondisclosure agreement prior to negotiations and later indicated a timeline, ending February 14, to bring an end to negotiations.

AFC Vice Chairman Moses Nagamootoo told reporters that even if the negotiations don’t end by Saturday, they will continue and the executives will be updated accordingly.

Nagamootoo was careful not to say anything that would compromise the discussions at this critical stage. He did indicate however that “a bundle of issues were being discussed” during back to back meetings.

“Whether or not there will be definitive results in these talks we are satisfied that we have reintroduced into the national agenda the question of unity, healing and reconciliation, not in part but as a common whole and that I believe is the plus in this critical situation,” Nagamootoo said.

He explained that the timeline that was set is not a “drop dead timeline.”

The AFC Vice Chairman said too that “if these talks fail and I have no reason to believe it should fail or ought to fail’ we have a constitutional situation where parties will go on their own in a multi-party contest. We are ready for this fight.”

He said the Party’s membership and supporters are 100% in support of the alliance to be forged but there seems to be division on which Party should lead the alliance.

Nagamootoo said the overwhelming interest, nonetheless, is to unseat the PPP/C.

There hasn’t been much coming  from the APNU on the talks but the party has indicated that it intends to officially launch its elections campaign on February 20.

Nagamootoo hinted that the talks could also iron out whether the party will campaign on one platform or individually ahead of the May 11 general elections.

 

Filed: 12th February, 2015

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