AFC says it will hold balance of power

Guyana Chronicle Report THE Alliance For Change (AFC) is optimistic that no single party will obtain the majority of seats in Parliament, which means that it will have the deciding vote in the House. AFC presidential candidate Khemraj Ramjattan said this yesterday at a press briefing convened at the Pegasus Hotel, where he and other senior party members took the opportunity to report on their success at the 2011 General and Regional Elections. “Based upon our tabulations, we are confident that no one will have the majority of seats, and therefore that means that the AFC will now have the deciding vote,” he said. According to him, this will mean that there will be new areas for development and for the party to highlight its policies in the interest of the citizens of Guyana. As to the party’s performance at the elections, he pointed out that despite the fact that the AFC did not win the elections, the party performed well in certain areas, when compared to the 2006 elections at which they secured five seats in Parliament. As to the advantages of no one party having the majority of seats, Ramjattan said, “AFC will hold the balance of power… will be able  to sit together as responsible leaders to work out the issues, and will then be able  to bring some of their issues to Parliament.” Addressing the possibility of a post-elections coalition, the AFC prime ministerial candidate Raphael Trotman emphasized that at this time there are no plans to join any of the other parties. This, he said, is not likely to happen, as the AFC will be present in full force to support the issues of the people in the National Assembly. In this regard, Ramjattan also dispelled the possibility of a union, and stressed, if the situation arises, there will be a “tripartite representation” in Parliament. He said, “That is the kind of thing that we want to see in Parliament … no one political party will have the majority of seats. The time has come to initiate some change; and we, too, have our agenda, as we will try as much as possible to have that incorporated.” Meanwhile, the AFC members expressed satisfaction at GECOM’s process, but expressed some concern over the commission’s delay in announcing the results and over the People Progressive Party’s (PPP/C) call for a recount, which they termed a “delaying tactic.” Ramjattan noted that the delay has caused tensions to rise and speculations to circulate. Despite this, he maintained that the AFC will accept GECOM’s results of the 2011 General and Regional Elections, providing there are no glaring irregularities, and, urged all Guyanese to be responsible and vigilant once the results are announced. “We are confident that the political will of the Guyanese electorate will emerge,” he stated.