GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Friday announced that it had entered into a coalition with the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) ahead of the September 1 general and regional election.
The APNU was officially launched in 2011 and included the Alliance for Change (AFC) at the time. However, the AFC announced in April that it would be contesting the elections without being part of the APNU.
In a statement, the newly formed coalition also warned that the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) failure to conduct free and fair elections could have serious negative consequences.
It provided three main reasons for contesting the elections, including preventing political domination. The argument was that boycotting the election would hand the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) unchallenged control over national and regional governance, with “disastrous and irreversible” consequences for the country.
In addition, it stated that it is providing an electoral alternative to the population, given its responsibility to offer voters a clear option to reject the PPP/C.
The coalition said that it is also confident in Victor despite what it views as a compromised system.
The opposition coalition stated that since 2020, its demands for a clean voter’s list have not been met and accuses GECOM of operating in a partisan manner.
“Our decision to participate also did not ignore the fact that, over the years, GECOM has refused to meet our demands for a clean voters list and the use of fingerprint biometrics at the place of poll. As such, these elections remain highly vulnerable to manipulation and fraud. “The safeguards to ensure integrity can be readily breached, as we have already seen during the registration process where persons can register without adequate proof of identity, country of birth, and address,” it added.
Opposition Leader and head of the main opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton, said that while it has serious problems with GECOM’s elections machinery, it decided not to boycott the elections since such a decision would allow the PPP to gain control of all the national and regional political space in the country.
“The vast majority of Guyanese are determined to get rid of the PPP, and we must afford them the option to do so by putting the APNU/WPA coalition’s name on the ballot,” the coalition noted, indicating that it is confident that it can win the elections, once it is free and fair, and will not underestimate the challenges it is facing in thwarting the will of the electorate.
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