Opposition coalition talks more pre-occupied with who will be the leader-Rupert Roopnaraine

Stabroek News AFC Mouth-piece: Coalition talks among opposition parties currently seem more preoccupied with who is going to lead the platform, WPA co-leader Dr. Rupert Roopnarine said yesterday, noting that this issue is less important than what the alliance is going to be based on.


We've already expressed the view that a “big tent” alliance would collapse under the weight of big egos of opposition party leaders. Dr Rupert Roopnarine is merely confirming our thesis by disclosing current coalition talks are centered around the top leadership/presidential question.
As a seasoned politician Dr Roopnarine knows that, without knitting an attractive fabric consisting of “a planned economic, social and political programme,” coalitions are like loose thread and tangled knots. But, as a veteran of coalition talks two decades ago within the Patriotic Coalition for Democracy (PCD), he should remember how time-consuming and tortuous the process could be. For lack of a solid PCD programme the PPP-Civic alliance was born.
With only a year or so before general elections, we doubt whether today’s opposition parties could craft a common programme that matches the PPP manifesto. Historically, the PPP has always produced the best economic, social and political programmes to contest general elections.
If the ruling party starts its preparations early, no opposition alliance could defeat it in 2011.