WPA must work more harmoniously within the APNU; No need for split -Roopnarine

As a senior member in the WPA who participated in negotiating the Cummingsburg Accord, Dr. Roopnarine said party Executives would have a hard time convincing him that it is a good idea to part ways with the APNU coalition.

WPA must work more harmoniously within the APNU; No need for split  -Roopnarine

Days after one Executive of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Tacuma Ogunseye,  called on the Party to consider its future within the APNU coalition and Government, another WPA Executive has poured cold water on the possibility of a split.

In a surprising turn of events, it is Dr. Rupert Roopnarine who is supporting the WPA’s continued membership in the APNU coalition, although his party colleagues have used, among other things, his removal as Education Minister to make their case.

Dr. Roopnarine, who has served in the leadership of the WPA for several years, said he believes the WPA’s best bet as a party is to work more harmoniously within the coalition.

The WPA teamed up with the People’s National Congress Reform and three other parties to form the APNU Coalition to contest the 2011 elections. The  APNU later joined forces with the Alliance For Change and together the six-party APNU/AFC coalition won the 2015 elections.

As a senior member in the WPA who participated in negotiating the Cummingsburg Accord, Dr. Roopnarine said party Executives would have a hard time convincing him that it is a good idea to part ways with the APNU coalition.

“It is a serious matter for which party members would need to engage thoroughly… with all of its difficulties the coalition is the way forward for Guyana, I believe no individual party can accomplish the task ahead of us,” he added.

Roopnarine agreed with other WPA members that the APNU ought to be meeting more often.

This situation he hopes will be corrected soon where a meeting will be convened to allow for ventilation of problems arising.

But while Dr. Roopnarine has shrugged off proposals of a split, he believes a review of the Cummingsburg Accord might be helpful.

“A review will do no harm but I don’t see that there is any great crisis that brings the accord into question… It’s a good idea.”

Roopnarine said there is no review planned at this time but registered his support for it.

He said the WPA has its own resource issues and urged party members to go into the communities in an effort to recruit membership and revitalize the party.

“To reinvigorate we will need to bring more working people into the party and resuscitate party groups at the village level,” he added.

Other officials of the APNU have already rejected claims of any deteriorating relationship within the coalition.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login