New wave of in-fighting hits AFC

THERE is a new wave of in-fighting within the small Alliance for Change(AFC) party, with similar intensity of the Raphael Trotman /Khemraj Ramjattan leadership brawl a few months ago. With the exit of Prime Ministerial candidate Sheila Holder last week, her vacancy has increased tensions between the various factions in the party.
Last week, the AFC reported that Holder stepped down as Prime Ministerial candidate of the party because of ill –health.


Earlier this year, in May, Guyana Chronicle came in for criticisms from the AFC for its report that ‘’Sheila Holder may fall out of elections race’’. The report was based on an AFC senior insider who is now describing the current acrimonious state of that party.
According to the insider, of the two persons who might be suitable to fill the void, Trotman and Cathy Hughes, none of them is willing to work under Ramjattan, whom they described as ‘too arrogant’.
The party’s faithful believe it is not too late to shift Ramjattan to the Prime Ministerial position and have Trotman return as Presidential Candidate.


The insider is concerned that the party may further mess up its chances at elections with the new wave of in-fighting. Most AFC members believe Ramjattan will cause the party to lose seats at the elections, given the fact that the support base of the party is from the PNCR, and many supporters are turning away from AFC because of his poor leadership style.
Trotman and Ramjattan were in a leadership battle following the failure by the party’s top-brass in June to honour a rotation agreement that would have seen Ramjattan take over as AFC leader.
Sources in the party said Trotman’s faction was insisting that Ramjattan is unsuitable to lead the AFC, while the Ramjattan group was accusing the party’s prime movers of alienation tactics. The AFC has been badly hurt by several bouts of in-fighting, and is trying to salvage its image.
Businessman, Mr. Peter Ramsaroop, who has resigned as AFC Chief Executive Officer, and withdrew his membership of the party, publicly expressed his displeasure at Ramjattan’s leadership.
Trotman is a former senior PNCR member and parliamentarian who defected to form his own party, and Ramjattan is a former senior member of the PPP.