While it is not currently in talks with with the APNU about rejoining the coalition, the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has indicated its full support of a “grand opposition” where parties maintain their identity but have an equal say pre- and post-election.
WPA’s Co-leader, Dr David Hinds made the party’s position known during Monday’s press conference.
“WPA is in no talks to rejoin APNU. WPA has not signaled that it will rejoin APNU. WPA is interested in a grand coalition to contest the next elections. We are in no talks to rejoin APNU. We have not said we will rejoin APNU,” Dr Hinds told reporters.
Under the umbrella of the APNU, the WPA contested the 2015 and 2020 Elections, but pulled out of the coalition in August 2020 immediately after the five-month long election came to an end with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) being declared the winner.
The WPA exited the coalition due to poor treatment.
“Under the APNU we were subsumed. Decisions were made for us by the leader of the APNU, who was leader of PNCR. In fact, that is the reason we left the coalition because decisions were made by the leader of APNU who was the leader of the PNC, who made decisions for us, including who represented us in Parliament,” Dr Hinds explained.
He said during the course of the last two elections the party did not have an independent identity, having been subsumed by the coalition. However, he said it has since retained its identity, and has engaged in talks with the leadership of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) as the WPA.
He said those engagements treat strictly with the need for a clean voters’ list and the use of enhanced biometrics on Election Day to ensure the next election is free and fair.
However, Dr Hinds said the WPA has been approached to engage in discussions on the formation of a coalition ahead of the 2025 elections, but that meeting is still to take place.
He said while the party is not opposed to a coalition or a grand opposition, it would like to maintain its identity, as the AFC did in 2015 when it teamed up with APNU to contest the elections.
According to him, all parties must have an equal say.
“Everybody should have an equal say in arriving at decisions, and it is not about whether you represent more people or not; it is whether your ideas on a particular issue are correct. You can’t make decisions on policies based on the number of people you represent. Look at the PPP, they represent half of the electorate, they represent half of the electorate and look what they are doing, look at what they are doing with the cash grant, and other things. So, decision making cannot be based on how many people you represent,” the WPA co-leader reasoned.
He said though considered small in numbers, it was the WPA that championed the cause for Guyanese to benefit from cash-transfers given Guyana’s new found wealth.
He said the proposal, which has now been effected by Government, though partially, represents the only initiative to date that would directly impact individuals and households right across the country since the country started oil production in 2019.
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