The AFC Newsletter 14th Anniversary

Khemraj Ramjattan was born on October 12, 1960 at Number 48 Village, Corentyne, East Berbice. He is an eminent Attorney-at-Law, a fearless and objective Politician, and a former volunteer youth organizer. He is almost never hesitant to speak his mind and offer valuable inputs into developments that come under his purview.

He is a graduate of the Hugh Wooding Law School, University of the West Indies (UWI) where he acquired his exceptional skills as an Attorney-at-Law. His advocacy in many high profile Human Rights Cases has given him prominence and stature in Guyana’s legal fraternity and as a Politician, he comes into contact with people from all walks of life, whether they are Guyanese or not, whether they are from his groundswell of support in the grassroots or in the upper echelons of society and the Diplomatic Corps. He is a fierce fighter for people’s rights, for human rights, and he makes no excuses for that ferocity.

This same approach has girded the programme he put in place in 2015 to whip the Guyana Police Force into better shape. The Guyana Police Force which was put in his charge in 2015 needed revamping, and its relationships with the citizenry which was at its worst in Guyana’s history, improved. The GPF needed to be reshaped, based on the traditional mantra for protection and service.

His team designed the transformation of the GPF in conformity with international best practice, making it capable of managing the influx of migrants from neighbouring countries along with foreign investors and workers in the new oil and gas industries.

That design included equipping the Police Force which is spread throughout the hinterland, in gold mining, farming and forested districts, with the necessary people skills, updated equipment, and good knowledge of the law.

This is the bedrock of the intense training programmes, the new knowledge culture that is being cultivated at Eve Leary.

To the people who know him intimately, he is fondly known as Prakash. He was born into a humble family on the Corentyne, Berbice, and later married the beautiful Sita. Together they have two sons, Divesh and Vikash.

His introduction to politics was through the youth arm of the People’s Progressive Party and he ascended the ranks to become its leader before moving on to membership of the Central Executive Committee. But he was not to last in that environment.

His independent mien, his probing mind and true commitment to democracy at all levels did not accept the not-to-be-questioned dictates of the PPP’s Marxist/communist politburo. As such, he collided frequently with the dogmatists in the Central Committee and in the rank and file of the PPP. His vision for a democratic, united Guyana that has no place for racism, one that welcomes the opinions of all party members, rubbed them

Leader of the Alliance For Change

Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan

PORTRAIT OF A LEADER; KHEMRAJ RAMJATTAN

the wrong way and created conflicts with the leader.

Inevitably he was evicted, just when he was preparing to walk away. Fortunately, he came into contact with persons from other political parties who shared his vision for a united Guyana and the ways to get there. Among those people were his comrades Raphael Trotman and the now late Sheila Holder. Together with others of the ilk of Nigel and Cathy Hughes, David Patterson and Michael Carrington, they formed a new movement called the Alliance for Change in 2005.

He was a Member of Parliament since October 1992, serving on the Public Accounts and other Parliamentary Committees.

From his years in the PYO to today as Vice President and Minister of Public Security, he has fearlessly and objectively represented his views on numerous issues, some social, others politically sensitive, in his quest to help develop a country with a secure and well educated population.

Pre-2015, Vice President Ramjattan had contributed to numerous public discussions and debates on the effects of bad governmental

Along the way, as an Attorney, he served as State Counsel in the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (1984–1988), and President of the Guyana Bar Association (2003–2005). His advocacy in many high profile Human Rights Cases has given him prominence and stature in Guyana’s Legal Fraternity.

administration, on political interference by the state, and on best practices in the legal profession, among other topics. He participated in the British Council’s Young Lawyers Commonwealth Scholarship Program in 1992 at the University of London, and had served as Editor of the Guyana Bar Review.

The AFC celebrates its 14th Anniversary on November 28. It is important for us at this time to re-state the party’s current standing and remind our supporters of our contributions to Guyana’s political milieu.

It has to be said once again that NO third party in the English-speaking Caribbean started its life with the magnitude of tangible support that the AFC has had, with winning six (6) Parliamentary seats the first time it went to general elections. The AFC achieved this feat in the 2006 elections just one (1) year after its formation.

Political parties such as the NAR and COP in Trinidad and Tobago are just two examples of ‘Third parties’ in the Caribbean region that did not fare as well as the AFC.

Further, no other Third party in Guyana has been as consistently successful. In the 2011 General Elections, the Alliance for Change increased its support and gained seven (7) Parliamentary seats. And, it was this Party that had the audacity to move a successful “No Confidence” motion against the incumbent government in 2014 which started the process that ended with removal of the PPP from Government by the People’s will. The history of Guyana is replete with attempts

by political parties and civil society groups to make a strong impact on the politics of the day. Between 1989 and 1992 the Patriotic Coalition for Democracy (PCD) fell apart, unable to form an alliance and enter the main stage of politics. It is from this movement that the Civic component of the PPP emerged.

The AFC is now the only successful independent party. It emerged at a time when our country and our people were literally buckling under the PPP, under the worst effects of growing racial intolerance and blatant institutionalized corruption. The PPP’s last acts of defiance of its own people were to give out ‘oil blocks’ in Guyana’s Exclusive Maritime Zone within the last two weeks of their 23-year run as a legitimate government.

This was one more catalyst for the Alliance For Change to solidify its partnership with APNU –a group of political parties dedicated to a single cause in the national interest, i.e. to rescue Guyana from the black hole it was sinking into socially, politically, economically and regarding its international reputation. Now, our collective cause is to raise this country up to the level befitting an oil-producing nation.

The AFC remains fully committed to working with our partners to develop our country

and its citizens. We are committed to constitutional reform and have already drafted recommendations for the approval of the APNU Alliance.

The pathologists who had pronounced AFC ‘dead’ since the year of our formation (2005) have themselves had to ‘close up shop’ and retreat from their position fourteen (14) years later. Lately they have re-emerged with the same comments after the results of the November 2018 Local Government Elections came out. These community elections were characterized by very low voter turn-out (36%). The AFC’s results were not flattering, but we are resilient, and we understand that those results cannot influence the party’s stance on issues of national importance that concern the development of our people.

The Alliance for Change is made up of people who thrive on principles, who are committed to the total transformation of Guyana, and to bringing to an end that old Guyanese problem - voting along racial lines. The AFC has been preaching political and constitutional reform since 2006, and we have re-committed ourselves to creating a more equitable society that gives every citizen an equal opportunity to grow.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE AFC IN GUYANA’S POLITICS

APNU+AFC COALITION GOVERNMENT REMAINS THE ANSWER TO FAST DEVELOPMENT

The Cummingsburg Accord was the platform for the APNU+AFC Coalition coming to government in 2015. It was signed on St. Valentine’s Day 2015 and has served as a guide for the deliberate transformation of Guyana’s economy, the Guyana society, the Guyanese people and their development

. In the run-up to the 2020 elections, the APNU and AFC are likely to contest the upcoming elections as a Coalition with a new Agreement to guide our union, our intent and our mandates.

“The AFC remains fully committed to coalition politics in the national interest. Coalition politics reinforces our core belief in a functional multi-ethnic society that is already unleashing the energies of all our people regardless of race, class, religion or gender, to enjoy their fullest potential.”

AFC and our partners are committed to strengthening the systems of Government, ensuring these systems embrace every citizen, every community government (NDC), every regional administration (RDC), and every other group working towards citizen growth and inclusion.

This method of government is known as Inclusionary Democracy, and with the Green State Development Strategy, Vision 2040, Guyana has nowhere to go but up as we combine our income from oil with new ‘green’ projects in Agriculture, Technology, Energy and Healthcare etc.

There is no better teacher than experience. An old idiom says: Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it! Guyana’s past pains, our shame, the poor international reputation we had as a drug-fuelled, under-developed nation, and the bad treatment our citizens suffered from airports to conference rooms in other countries, are now history, thanks to the decency and hard work of the Coalition Government.

This Government has turned Guyana into a CHOICE DESTINATION for investors in business, tourism, healthcare, infrastructure, etc.

University education was free from 1976 to 1993

... the PPP instituted fees for Bachelor Degrees

The former President Jagdeo has accused the Coalition Government of “stealing” his idea to institute free education at the University of Guyana.

Some people said that the PPP’s General Secretary hopes that Guyanese have forgetten that it was during his ‘reign’ (1999 to 2011) that the right to free education at the university was taken away?

At that time, just before the 1994/5 academic year, the PPP government had told the nation that they were going to implement something called “user fees” towards a Cost Recovery programme to help UG fund itself. They completely ignored the benefits that many

Guyanese youths had gained since 1976, the year that EDUCATION WAS MADE FREE BY THE PNC GOVERNMENT.

Older folks would remember an old Guyanese slogan: FREE EDUCATION FROM NURSERY TO UNIVERSITY. That is what Guyanese born after the mid 20th Century grew up on – never having to pay a cent for schooling until they were past a Bachelor’s degree.

Free education from nursery to university was made an entrenched right for every Guyanese citizen. Jagdeo and the PPP rolled over it in 1993 and created some cruel hardships for students and families.

It is true that the University of Guyana did not develop a culture of earning money to sustain itself, and in truth, all was not well at Guyana’s highest institution of learning. UG’s management, academicians and Council struggled hard through some lean years, but they nevertheless managed to produce a long list of outstanding alumni, many of whom are still contributing to this nation, to CARICOM and the Commonwealth.

But the introduction of fees did not make life, or conditions for students or staff any easier. It did not improve the quality of education; it was still unable to attract lecturers of very high caliber; unable to transform the library into one befitting a modern university, provide and sustain basic hygienic and other student facilities. Thankfully,

Leader Khemraj Ramjattan being sworn in to per form the duties of Prime Ministers

the university’s fortunes turned around when a new, non-governmental University Council was sworn in.

At around midyear this year, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo announced that Government is contemplating removing the fee paying system from UG.

“In the future, David Granger and I are looking at the possibility of abolishing fees at the university to address that issue of free access to education. You can become an achiever. The multiple effects of our Government are affordability and achievement, so we want to return to being a nation of achievers, a nation that knows where to take the country, not by political power, but by the power of the mind, the power of the intellect.” Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo said.

The current status of fee-paying at UG allows students to access loans through a revolving fund (gives students 15 years to repay) into a nonrepayable GRANT.

“That is what democracy is all about. It is intended to enrich your mind so you can take this country, in the age of oil and gas and wealth, and develop it in a way that generations before us could not even dream about,” he said.

The PPP continues to bank on their belief that Guyanese do not know, or have forgotten their country’s recent history. Some have indeed forgotten the former President’s crass style of communication. Every local satirist, and the man in the street referred to him as ‘the cuss-down general’. He cursed at anybody who crossed him, using the vilest language imaginable. Some took it, some gave it right back.

DO NOT ALLOW OTHERS TO FORM YOUR OPINIONS ... THINK FOR YOURSELF

If you still have doubts about where you place your X on Election Day, here are some more compelling reasons to keep the PPP far away from the “corridors of power” as they like to call it. For them it was not ‘Government’, it was their “Administration”. They described themselves as the ‘party in power’. Now after just four years, the PPP has deluded itself into

believing that Guyanese voters have forgotten the pain and suffering they lived with from the 1994 through to 2015, and that they will “return them to power”. Not a chance!

We still remember the humiliation meted out to us at airports not only in the Caribbean. We remember how we shuddered every time one or other government official went to other countries to speak on our behalf. We remember how friends, colleagues and family members had nothing good to say to us about Guyana, and they called our country ‘the drug corridor of South America’. We felt acute embarrassment every time we met for business purposes with people even from the other side of the world, and experienced their contempt for us.

And the PPP believes in all seriousness that right-thinking Guyanese will put the fortunes of this country back in their hands. Well, we can’t! We deserve to benefit from the wealth that is coming to Guyana very soon. With the PPP in Government in 2020, no one can bank on that!

PPP’S STATEMENTS ARE NOTHING BUT THEATRICS TO DISTRACT YOU!

The Opposition Leader, a man of low moral turpitude, has accused the governing Coalition of being “more corrupt than the PPP was during its 23 years in office”. This from a man who was President for 12 consecutive years (1999 – 2011), and in that time, Guyana acquired the labels of ‘The Mendicant’, the “poorest country in the hemisphere after Haiti”, and our country was listed as one of the most corrupt countries in the world every year from 2008 to 2014. This list, the international Corruption Perceptions Index, is published annually by Transparency International (TI).

Between 1992 and 1999, former President Jagdeo had done a 7-year stint at the Finance Ministry, part of which was as Minister of Finance. He remained in control of the nation’s coffers during his Presidency and reportedly that of his successor. During this period, Guyana was believed to be a ‘failed state’, officially unsound economically, unable to attract foreign investors, and its population of just over 750,000 not among the ‘happiest nation in the world’.

The year 2015 was Guyana’s year to turn our

fortunes around. The foreign explorers who were drilling for oil and gas had been coming up dry with every well they had spud for over 5 years. They took one more chance in 2015 and encountered the mother lode, the Liza 1 well containing millions of barrels of ‘sweet’ crude oil. That announcement was made in March when the writing was already on the wall for the PPP. The people had had enough and used the vote to say so.

Since then, the Coalition Government has been spending enormous amounts of money and man-hours to repair the complete damage done to his nation and its global reputation. The APNU+AFC Coalition inherited a country that was assessed as ‘a little less corrupt’ than the ‘hopelessly corrupt’ countries on TI’s global index.

Since our independence from Great Britain in 1966, no one has ever been able to credibly attack the integrity, credibility and honesty of any Guyanese Premier, Prime Minister or President, not until Bharrat Jagdeo.

Today, even their long-time supporters and apologists have acknowledged that the PPP government pre-2015 was plagued by ‘runaway corruption’ which will likely gain greater traction if Jagdeo remains the leader and party bully who compromised the output of every single government ministry, department and agency in this country.

He is alleged to have sold his home at Pradoville I for the 'small sum' of $120 million or US$600,000. This happened after he had acquired a piece of prime seaside real estate and then ordered that the area be developed into a suburban community utilizing national funds. The palatial edifice he built looks like a Brentwood, California home.

Former President Burnham had owned a home at Belfield, East Coast Demerara. Former President Hoyte lived (and died) modestly at his North Road, Georgetown residence, as did Cheddi and Janet Jagan in New Haven, Bel Air. President Granger owns an equally modest single-storey property in D’Urban Backlands, and he is well known to be an honest man with no tolerance for malfeasance and graft.

MINISTERS’ RESPONSE TO PPP’S RECKLESS ACCUSATIONS OF CORRUPTION

Well, the have refused to let Jagdeo’s reckless, illadvised accusations of a corrupt Coalition slide. In a joint statement, the Ministers have set the records straight. Here is an abridged version:

“Both the Ministries of Public Infrastructure and Natural Resources wish to state unequivocally, and to reassure the public, that all of the (Ministries’) business have been conducted within the confines of law and regulations. Both ministries reject in its entirety this claim by the increasingly beleaguered and desperate Mr. Jagdeo, and we challenge him to provide evidence. The ministries are certain that he will be unable to do so as no evidence to this effect exist.

This outlandish, unsubstantiated claim by the Opposition Leader is nothing more than a cheap tactic to divert the public’s attention from the charges laid against former PPP Minister of Finance, Ashni Singh, and former head of NICIL, Winston Brassington.

Mr. Jagdeo knows that much work has been done in uncovering the extreme corruption which was rampant while he was President and the PPP was in government, and that the chickens are now coming home to roost. Months of tedious work is now resulting in charges being laid and Mr. Jagdeo knows that very few in his government would (escape) unscathed. Instead of confronting their record of corruption, Mr. Jagdeo resorts to cheap theatrics and baseless political distraction.

The ministries find it laughable that he has

the audacity to lecture anyone on corruption and good governance when the most flagrant acts of corruption and obscene levels of lack of transparency and accountability occurred under his watch during his controversial and uninspiring presidency. Mr. Jagdeo’s presidency was characterized by an unending list of scandals and ill-conceived projects which left a major burden on Guyanese taxpayers, not least among which were the Pradoville 1 and 2 land giveaways, the Amaila Falls and Skeldon sugar factory scandals.

This government’s visionary execution of infrastructural projects seems to be deeply irking Mr. Jagdeo who had failed to execute same during his presidency.”

The Coalition Government will continue to guide this nation to prosperity

REPORT CARD

• Continuing the many infrastructural works including installing and maintaining public lighting

• Looking after the welfare of our vulnerable citizens, especially children

• Improving public security and ensuring that crime statistics continue to fall

• Installing the necessary equipment and conducting citizen education for their own

protection while online (cyber security)

• Continuing the numerous programmes that are improving our education systems which are already proving that our children are performing better in school

• Fixing the healthcare systems and institutions throughout the country

• Further improving the doing-business processes for the benefit of both local and foreign investors

• Improving essential services, especially water, electricity and Internet connectivity

• Encouraging citizens to start up small businesses to earn money for themselves

• Protecting our nation from countries like Venezuela that prevented us in the past from developing our own natural resources such as oil, and are now attempting to bully us in order to steal our land and maritime territory

• Protecting our young citizens from being trafficked to the hinterland and out of the country

Guyana is a safer country today. We must continue along this course so that every single citizen can benefit from the revenue that will soon begin to come in from the sale of oil.

Remembering SHEILA HOLDER

BY RAPHAEL TROTMAN

Sheila Holder was a giant among women and the matriarch that stood protectively over the AFC family. Her death on November 20, 2018, left a void that is not easily filled. The Alliance For Change bears the unmistakable mark of her presence and contribution, which we have enshrined as part of our identity.

Looking back, I recall when early in 2005 Khemraj and I encouraged Sheila to join on our political adventure. We had already made a decision that fate and circumstance had trust us in a direction that would see us leading thousands of like-minded patriots in transforming the political landscape in a way that was to be beyond our wildest imagination. Indeed, what we were attempting had not been done before and

the odds and opponents were certainly stacked against us. We recognised as well that this was not a job for one or two persons and that we needed to join forces with at least one other to form a triumvirate. Sheila Holder proved to be the best person who was a natural fit for all that we needed. She had demonstrated strength, charisma and intellect while representing the WPA in the National Assembly, and in her public appearances and engagements in championing the cause of consumerism, and best of all, she was a representative of the WPA, a party that we had tremendous respect for. We considered Sheila to be a high--value political prize and we were determined to convince her to join us.

In discussion with Sheila, surprisingly, there were no hard negotiations or clamour on her part for personal aggrandizement. Instead she willingingly agreed to come alongside us as an equal and on the basis that we would conduct ourselves as different from the three parties we were coming from. When she finally said yes our political configuration was then completed - the three dominant political forces (PNC, PPP and WPA) were now, in a manner of speaking, merged into a force called the Alliance For Change.

Sheila unintentionally, and quite naturally evolved to become the AFC's "mother" and she was a positive force that brought order and rules and respect to the party's activities. Much to the chargin of some women, she was not shy to say that she was not a modern day feminist and had no intention to pretending to be. Instead, she espoused strong family and civic values and responsibility, and instilled a no-nonsense

approach to ethnic relations within the party and in our public pronouncements. No doubt, her disciplined and wholesome upbringing as a child and her experiences as a woman, gave her a strength and confidence to assume the take charge and get it done attitude that she brought to the AFC. We needed her to do just that and she did it with an ease and a grace that was second to none. There were no angry words and hostility where she was concerned, but a firmness and a look that let you know that something said or done was inappropriate and would not be condoned.

I remember Sheila for many good things and the one which stands out for me is her oft quoted adage: "Nature abhors a vaccuum". The AFC filled a political vacuum that was necessary to be filled in 2006, and Sheila filled a vacuum within the AFC that only she could fill. Even now she remains irreplaceable and we miss her daily.

As we enter into another cycle of political uncertainty and confusion, it is the quiet guiding voice of Sheila Holder that we remember as we tread our way forward carefully and purposefully. There is always going to be a vacuum to be filled, and if not by us, then someone or something will. Let us step into the next exciting challenge with purpose and a plan-as Sheila would have advised we do.

We in the AFC will always be grateful for the gift of Sheila Holder and for the everlasting structures that she built. The politics of Guyana have been transformed by the contribution of those like herself who came, acted and left.

By Dominic Gaskin

IS THE AFC GOOD FOR GUYANA?

The AFC burst onto the political scene in Guyana in 2005 with a promise to change the political culture and to bring about an end to the winner-takes-all system of allocating power in Guyana. This “Third Force” sparked the interest of many Guyanese and ended up gaining 28,000 votes at its first electoral contest in 2006. The AFC improved its performance in the 2011 General and Regional Elections winning 35,000 votes and seven parliamentary seats, and in 2015 went on to form a preelection coalition with the opposition APNU to win a parliamentary majority and earn a place in the governing executive.

At fourteen years old and on the eve of its fourth General and Regional Elections, the AFC must, once again, make major decisions that will impact its political future. A wise assumption on which to base these decisions is that the AFC is good for Guyana and must therefore remain politically present and politically relevant in the best interest of Guyana.

The AFC has had, and continues to have, its fair share of detractors starting with those whose proprietary instincts towards perceived support bases have been offended, and moving along a spectrum of bitterness, discontent, disappointment and disenchantment. The sentiments expressed, both publicly and privately, by the party’s detractors range from silent withdrawal to frequently repeated venomous attacks, all par for the political course.

The journey of the AFC is not without

missteps, mistakes and missed opportunities, however, any objective reflection on the party’s performance over its fourteen years in existence cannot ignore the political success story that the journey depicts. This article, while written in commemoration of the AFC’s anniversary, is not intended to dwell on the past, but rather to focus on the challenges ahead and the key questions that the party will have to answer in order to build on its previous gains.

The assumption that the AFC is good for Guyana can only be validated by the electorate and must remain an assumption until that happens, however, it cannot be disputed that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction among the electorate when it comes to our political system, our political options and our political culture. It can therefore be argued that any positive changes in these three areas will be seen as good thing by the electorate.

Democracy is at best a messy process, and in a plural society such as ours, is fraught with the additional responsibility of avoiding deeper cleavages within a fragmented society. What must be noted at this point is that, throughout Guyana’s fifty-plus years of independence, our multi-ethnic society, to its credit, has managed to avoid the kinds of violent conflict that have scarred many post-colonial societies of the world. This points to a level of tolerance and acceptance that can form a solid foundation for improving the quality of democracy in Guyana and reducing ethnic insecurities associated with the winner-takes-all approach that has become an enduring feature of our political system.

Guyana has now been blessed with a fresh and phenomenal economic opportunity with the potential to significantly improve the well-being of every single Guyanese. This is certainly not the time to aggravate ethnic tension among our people, and the upcoming elections should not be a contest for control of Guyana’s oil wealth by either of the two major political parties.

Politics is sometimes described as the art of compromise and, over the years, the AFC has demonstrated this art, in its internal party politics, within the current coalition and in the National Assembly. Political compromise, going forward, is a necessity if Guyana is

to benefit meaningfully from the billions of barrels of oil that await extraction, and not squander this promising potential.

With a number of new political parties on the scene, it is important to understand the role of smaller parties within the context of the Guyanese political culture. While this culture continues to evolve, the fact is that the vast majority of the Guyanese electorate still cast their votes AGAINST an undesirable alternative rather than FOR a particular slate. Smaller parties tend to be the victims of this culture and therefore should avoid perpetuating the narrative that a win by either of the two major parties will spell doom for Guyana, and more so, doom for the ethnicity not associated with the winning party.

At present, and under the current constitution, a coalition government is the best alternative to the tyranny of the majority. However, the model needs to be improved if it is to function optimally. In the absence of constitutional change, which the AFC supports, coalitions need to be formed prior to elections with the parties contesting on a joint slate. With a high likelihood of being subsumed into the larger party, this is a dangerous proposition for any small party. The AFC took a calculated risk when it opted to form a coalition with APNU in 2015, and that coalition has demonstrated a commendable maturity during its first term in office, defying numerous predictions that it would collapse. Nevertheless, there is a perception among sections of the public that the AFC has lost its independence as a political party.

In pondering its political future, and assuming that the AFC is good for Guyana, the party must answer the following two questions:

1. How can the current coalition model be improved in the context of managing Guyana’s oil wealth for the benefit of all Guyanese? and

2. How can the AFC ensure that it remains a politically relevant party in the eyes of the electorate?

The art of compromise can then be honed against clear objectives.

OUR JOURNEY: 14 YEARS OF TO THE GUYANESE PEOPLE

2006

Soon after its launch, the Alliance For Change took its message of national unity, good governance and rapid economic development to all quarters of Guyana, the party mobilized Guyanese from all walks of life and contested the 2006 General and Regional Elections. The party was led by Raphael Trotman as its presidential candidate and Khemraj Ramjattan as Prime Ministerial candidate, supported by a full slate of candidates in every region. The party received 8.1% of the valid votes casted and won 6 seats in the National Assembly: this represented two major feats; one, it is perhaps the first time since independence that any third party has contested national elections with a full slate of candidates in every region; and two, it is the first time that any third party contesting its first (or any) election was able to win 6 seats.

sterling cricketing career. We reiterate our call for Shivnarine Chanderpaul to be properly recognized in Guyana with a national award higher than the AA that was hurriedly given to him.”

2009

AFC held its second delegates conference, at that conference it was reported that the membership grew by more than 3,500 in between conferences.

2010

AFC celebrated its 5th Anniversary in style and announced that its membership subscription passed 5,000 with chapters in 5 countries

2011

A brief

journey into our 14 years of service to the Guyanese people

2005

Raphael Trotman, Khemraj Ramjattan and Sheila Holder while working together on several parliamentary Bills became tired of the tribalism and petty party differences that were preventing achievement of consensus on many issues that could unlock the true potential of the Guyanese people. Dissatisfied with the political culture of their time, made the bold and audacious step to form a political movement. This pathbreaking endeavor meant that senior party functionaries of three parliamentary parties had to reach across the floor to form an alliance.

A new sense of hopefulness was breathed into the political consciousness of Guyanese, both home and abroad; expectations were lifted, while optimism permeated the psyche of a people lacerated by the decades of binary zero-sum politics of race. People from across every region, ethnic enclave, economic strata and the diaspora came on board and the Alliance For Change was launched on October 29, 2005.

At its Launch the subscribing members elected Raphael Trotman as Party as the presidential Candidate to contest the upcoming elections while Khemraj Ramjattan was asked to serve as Party Leader. This was the start of something new, something beautiful using the watchwords “Unlocking Guyana’s Potential.”

Even though the electoral count showed that AFC won 6 seats, the party was only able to occupy 5 seats in the House because the PPP stole and illegally appropriated one seat. This misfortune did not deter our members and first parliamentarians; Raphael Trotman. Khemraj Ramjattan, Sheila Holder, David Patterson and Shantel Smith who was later succeeded by Sarah Punilall

2007

Our historic first National Conference was held and the Constitution of the AFC adopted. Raphael Trotman was elected Leader and Khemraj Ramjattan elected Party Chairman while Sheila Holder served as Vice-Chairperson.

AFC legislator, Shantel Smith, moved AFC’s first parliamentary motion which advocated for abolition of flogging in schools, she argued that corporal punishment violates Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child that was ratified in Guyana since 1991.

2008 August 1, 2008, AFC held commemoration event for the 170th Anniversary of the abolition of enslaved Africans in the British West Indies.

After years of activism for Guyanese and West Indian star batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul to be granted a high honour of a National Award, the PPP reneged on its denial of this award and granted him the Arrow of Achievement. However, the AFC continued its advocacy for Chanderpaul to be given a higher award that is befitting his achievements. In tribute, Raphael Trotman said, “Shiv has made us all proud once again and we hail his monumental achievements and the humble and dedicated way in which he has gone about establishing a

Building on the success of the 2006 Regional and General Elections, AFC entered the 2011 Elections with Khemraj Ramjattan as its Presidential Candidate, Raphael Trotman stepped into the role as Prime Ministerial candidate after the original candidate Sheila Holder became ill.

After giving almost half a century of service to the PPP, Moses Nagamootoo left and joined forces with the AFC and contested the 2011 General Election as an AFC candidate. Valarie Garrido-Lowe left The United Force, a party she served as executive for many years, to unite with the AFC family, she was enlisted as a candidate.

In that General Election held November 28, 2011 AFC’s vote share was increased to 10.3% which saw the party win seven seats in the National Assembly; an unparalleled feat by a third party (contesting only its second election) in Guyana and in the British West Indies. Those taking up parliamentary seats were Khemraj Ramjattan, Moses Nagamootoo, Cathrine Hughes, Versammy Ramayya, Trevor Williams, Valarie Garrido-Lowe and Eula Marcello (Region 8 MP). Added to that the AFC had an outright win in Region 8 Potaro – Sipuruni, AFC’s Mark Crawford took up chairmanship of the region from 2006 to 2011.

As a result of the growth in electoral support for the AFC, the PPP was reduced to a minority government with only 32 seats, another first for Guyana.

AFC was thrown into bereavement when one of its founders passed on. Sheila Holder continues to hold a special place in the hearts and memories of the members and supporters of the AFC, we salute her contributions.

2012

On January 12, 2012 at the first sitting of the 10th Parliament, co-founder of the AFC, Raphael Trotman was elected Speaker of the National

Assembly, he was the first ever opposition member to become speaker.

2013

AFC acquired its Headquarters at 26 Railway Line Kitty, a place that is now the cherished home that will be forever be etched in our hearts as a symbol growth and stability.

2014

In 2014, narco trafficking kickbacks from contracts and rampant corruption became pervasive and out of hand, to protect the interest of the Guyanese people, the AFC demanded that the Public Procurement Commission be set up to oversee the tender process. In classic PPP style, the Donald Ramotar led government refused to establish the PPC or to take firm measures to improve transparency. As if to add insult to injury, the PPP Finance Minister spent over 4 Billion dollars of unbudgeted sums, including giving money to agencies specifically denied by the national assembly. To prevent further infractions of the law and bring an increasingly unpopular government to account for its numerous indiscretions, AFC on Aug. 8 2014, tabled a motion of no-confidence in the name of Moses Nagamootoo and Cathrine Hughes. This led to the prorogation of parliament and subsequently the calling of early elections.

2015

With early elections on the horizon the AFC listened to the people of Guyana who overwhelmingly demanded greater movement towards national unity and multi-party rule. In response, AFC entered a pre-elections coalition agreement, as an independent party, with A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). This agreement was dubbed the Cummingsburg Accord and was inked on the 14 of February 2015. This resulted in a wave of optimism and renewed confidence in Guyana that culminated in the APNU+AFC forming the new government following the May 11, 2015 elections, a victory that ended nearly 25 years of PPP misrule.

As per coalition agreement

AFC’s Moses Nagamootoo became Prime Minister and 1st Vice President, Khemraj Ramjattan the Minister of Public Security and 3rd Vice President along with 5 other cabinet ministerial portfolios and 1 junior ministerial appointment. The party also gained 12 seats in the National Assembly along with several seats on Regional Democratic Councils across the country. This is another first for a “small” third party in our region, accession to the seat of government within 10 years of formation.

2016

After some renovation works to the old structure acquired a few years earlier, the AFC Headquarters was officially commissioned on the 30 of January 2016. The Name Center For Change was adopted and the main boardroom was named in memory of our beloved comrade Sheila Holder. The Sheila Holder Boardroom is the main meeting place of the party’s executive Management Committee.

2017

As part of the coalition team the AFC assisted in the movement towards a better life for all Guyanese as rapid hinterland roads, airstrips and telecommunication development was rolled. The coastlands also benefitted from the input of the AFC

2018

AFC was unable to reach an agreement with APNU to contest the Local Government Elections as a coalition, this meant that AFC had to field an independent list of candidates in the various Local Authority Areas. The party fielded candidates in 34 NDC areas and received on average of 10% of total votes when taking only the contested areas into consideration. Despite nationwide low voter turnout and a late start to the campaign the party garnered a cumulative Proportional Representation vote tally of almost 9,000 votes, a demonstration that the AFC remains popular among a consistent pool of supporters, a testimony to the steadfast belief in the

mission of the party and its relevance to the political nomenclature of Guyana.

AFC ministers continue to perform creditably in their roles and contributed to the development of Guyanese. Like everything else in life where there are highs and lows, AFC experienced perhaps its lowest political ebb when it was completely betrayed by what many observers considered to be an act of treachery and corruption. The AFC member of Parliament representing the geographical constituency Region 6, Corentyne East Berbice, tendered a positive vote in favor of a motion of no confidence brought by the opposition, triggering fresh elections.

Due to the resilience of the movement, which is now an entrenched part of the Guyanese political landscape, the AFC remains resolute and strong despite this set back

2019

We are proud of our accomplishments 14 years on. The journey was not easy, the party congratulates its activists, members, supporters and indeed all Guyanese who contributed to our birth, nurture, growth and development. The AFC is here to stay as a permanent fixture on the Guyanese political scene, the party looks forward to working with Guyanese who subscribe to our core principles as we grow together.

Since our launch many of our comrades have departed this life, we pay our respects to their contributions and sacrifices.

AFC is on the cusp of consolidating a new accord with its partner, the APNU, the Party expects to triumph once again but all our members and supporters need to join hands and effort to deal another blow of defeat to the opposition.

Can we do it?

YES! WE CAN!

THE COLLISION OF LAW AND POLITICS IN GUYANA’S OIL AND GAS ERA- MR. NIGEL HUGHES

The discovery of oil in Guyana is a world class find which has elevated the resource not necessarily Guyana to global significance.

Assumption # 3.

The global experience of the conduct of the business of oil and gas has rarely except the cases of revolution and great social upheaval been affected by the domestic politics of the countries where oil has been located.

Assumption # 4

Even in the event of wars and violent revolutions in the host country the sale of oil and gas continues unaffected by domestic turmoil.

in the discharge of their functions by the principles set out in this chapter, and Parliament may provide for any of those principles to be enforceable in any court or tribunal.”

So we have declared to ourselves and to the world at large that we are a nation in transition to socialism and the courts must be guided by these principles.

It is perhaps a little facetious for me to contend that we are still transitioning to socialism but if our supreme law so declares even if only aspirationally.

Articles 13 and 15 are not justiciable. That we live in a deeply divided society is perhaps axiomatic and so too is our politics.

What is the current relationship between law and politics in our dear land.

Our supreme law, the constitution purports to set out inter alia our national ambitions and ethos

It was Mao Tse tong who said “ Politics is war without bloodshed and war is politics with bloodshed”

In Guyana we have possible exhibited traits of both aspects of Mao’s statement.

The Region 4 Management Committee (Georgetown) recently held 'Keynotes'. Keynotes is a series of public engagements on matters of national interest. For the first installment Attorney at Law Nigel Hughes discussed 'The collision of law and politics in Guyana's oil and gas era.' Here is an except of his presentation.

I would like to commence by setting out some assumptions and the context in which my presentation is set.

The views expressed this evening are mine and mine alone.

Context.

Permit me to start with a quotation.

“The petroleum industry is the world’s largest business. Since its discovery , no other commodity – neither historically nor presently – rivals petroleum’s importance to the world’s political and economic order. Even with the rise of the environmental preservation movement, petroleum remains the motivating force of industrial society and the lifeblood of the civilization it helped create.” From Daniel Yergin”s “the Prize . The epic quest for oil, money and power”.

I have relied on the accuracy of Daniel Yergin’s statement.

Assumption # 2.

Article 1 Part 1 of the Constitution of the Cooperative republic of Guyana states Guyana is an indivisible, secular, democratic sovereign nation in the course of transition from capitalism to socialism and shall be known as the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

Into this Republic of ours in transition to socialism lands perhaps the most important commodity in the market driven global economies of the world.

Is the transition now on pause or permanently abandoned or are we marching onwards to socialism.

Article 13 declares “ the principal objectives of the political system of the state is to establish an inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens and their organizations in the management and decision making processes of the State with particular emphasis on these areas of decision making that directly affects their well being.

Article 15 provides “ The Goal of economic development includes the objective of laying the material basis for the greatest possible satisfaction of the people’s growing material, cultural and intellectual requirements as well as the dynamically stable development of their personality, creativity, entrepreneurial skills and cooperative relations in a plural society. The State shall intervene to mitigate any deleterious effects of competition on individuals or groups.

And here comes the court

Article 39 provides “ It is the duty of parliament, the courts and all other public agencies to be guided

The advent of oil and its promise of great riches has highlighted how high the stakes are to achieve political power.

The year 2019 has seen absolutely no progress of in our legislative and regulatory preparation for the most important contributor to our GDP for the next ten years.

Every single opportunity to present a draft bill for the management and good governance of the oil and gas industry and which bill could have been presented by either side and agreed despite the political differences has been missed.

We have surrendered preparation for our future at the alter of political wars.

We are more concerned with ensuring how we share the corn rather than ensuring that we have more corn to share on the next round.

Our recent experiences with the interpretation of the CCJ’s decision on the effect of the NCV brought into clear focus and distinction the impact politics had on the interpretation of the court’s order.

Depending on where you sit on the political spectrum the courts decision either meant election by a particular date or after the announcement of readiness of GECOM. This dispute was among those all of whom are well versed in the law.

Our politics determined our interpretation of the law as pronounced by our highest court.

But it did not stop there, some of us then proceeded to attack our highest court declaring that it was “timid and ineffectual”.

One senior legal practitioner declared “But its reliance on the integrity of third world politicians to do what is right was deeply short-sighted and mistaken in the absence of coercive remedies. The decision’s failure to bring forth elections will leave a permanent scar on Guyana’s polity.”

A clear unambiguous invitation to the Court to enter into and perhaps trespass upon the political arena thereby exposing itself to further allegations of politization.

This perhaps is the strongest indicator to the citizenry of what to expect after March 2nd 2020.

We are now at the advent in the unfolding oil and gas era in which the interpretation of orders of court on matters of political importance are likely to be subject to different interpretations dependent on the political consequences of the decision.

We will be treading on new and perhaps dangerous ground where our interpretation of the law is governed by our politics with our jurists following suit.

Let’s put aside the domestic consequences of such an approach in the era of oil and gas and briefly look at what messages we are collectively sending to investors and potential investors in our dear land.

In the world where the conduct of business of oil and gas is transacted, the unpredictability of what the interpretation of a Court order says is subject to your political position then the reliability of your legal system is questioned. When we add to this accusations of timidity and ineffectualness to our courts the investor in the industry will continue to design contracts which avoid the possibility of oil disputes being settled domestically or subject to the and insisting on the clauses which mitigate against the determination of disputes domestically.

Guyana is an signatory to the Convention on the International center for the settlement of Investment Disputes.

This treaty insulates the decisions made by international arbitrators in investments disputes between the state and an international investor irrespective of the impact national legislation which may seek to mitigate or restrict the impact of certain actions by investors.

Competing interpretations of court decisions which a driven by politics increases the cost of political risk with the attendant consequences for businesses other than oil and gas.

Investment decisions in the oil and gas industry are long term by nature given the significant capital investment required by the industry.

Long term investment decisions require a certain degree of predictability, certainty of legal systems and reliability of the economic assumptions. This has been one of the principal drivers behind the demand for contract stability clauses.

I believe that one of our collective national objectives to make Guyana an attractive investment destination not only for oil and gas but for several new industries.

How do we achieve this given our historic mistrust and antagonisms which have and continue to threaten to paralyze our development.

Perhaps an admission that our current mistrust, distrust and war without blood shed should is not likely to dissipate by the holding of national elections under the current electoral system.

Unpleasant and embarrassing as it is, we have to admit that we are nowhere near national unity and the promise of real national unity seems a trifle fleeting at the moment.

In its absence of national unity and consensus, the question is what best protects all our collective interests and reduces our insecurities.

Governance and leadership.

I don’t propose to address the latter as our views may differ on the constituent elements of good leadership.

The jury is still out on whether the constitutional changes which were effected in our last round of constitutional amendments in 1999/ 2000 have had the desired effect insofar as governance is concerned.

There were at the time two principal issues which were prevalent at the time power sharing and good governance.

The appetite for power sharing seems to have diminished whether because of the prospect of unchecked executive power or the levels of mutual distrust.

Irrespective of the outcome of the next elections a substantial part of our population will feel insecure and isolated.

Our racial insecurities have high ignition points and low combustion levels to be allayed by the accepted results of a fair election.

With the advent of new economic prospects and new horizons it is perhaps time to consider the creation of new constitution which will reflect our new vision and modern aspirations as we transition to new and different horizons of governance that is second to none, less concentration of power in the head of the executive and a robust institutional bodies technically equipped to make decisions in the best interest of the entire populace.

I am keenly aware that Constitutional change does not win elections it’s the pocket and personal security which will take the day.

Perhaps a question we should all ask ourselves is even if the party we support wins the next election how are you going to restraining the new mandarins of economic prosperity with rapidly and ever increasing visible signs of unexplained wealth from abusing their power and their wealth to your detriment.

Where and to whom are you going to run when your

own has run amuck with unchecked political and new found wealth.

Where are we going to go when the interpretation of orders of court depend on the interpretation of the rich and power and the enforcement of those orders against the rich and powerful is only a fleeting illusion.

Wealth can sometimes have psychotropic effects which often obscure the suffering of those unconnected to us.

Our protection cannot lie in the exhortations of our leadership to be committed to good governance.

We must collectively commit to ensuring that our judiciary at every level is insulated from the machinations of our politics. Easier said than done but when we seek to diminish the standing of the only institution that protects us from the power of the state we are in the words of our national poet Martin Carter “ consumed”.

Leadership and governance is what is so desperately needed to transform this dear Republic of ours and in the absence of the former may all collectively commit to ensuring that even our won in power are subject to the best governance practices.

COALITION GOVERNMENT, BUILDING A CULTURE OF CONSENSUS

The brand of adversarial politics that Guyana has grown accustomed to over the past 60 years or so, has created the mindset among our people that opposition parties are destined to oppose every iota of policies proposed by the Government of the day. Every speech, every overseas trip, every policy proposal, development project or negotiated settlement is viewed with grave suspicion. This creates a reciprocation of mistrust, where successive governments have returned the favor by conducting the people’s business in clouds of secrecy. Policies conceived in a shroud of opacity naturally breathe corruption, nepotism and

cabalism. To achieve the required level of policy obfuscation it becomes a necessity to keep the information circle tight; tight more often means small. A small group of trusted lieutenants may naturally be drawn from among close friends, family and political comrades. The insideroutsider theory put forth by economists Assar Lindbeck and Dennis Snower can be applied to this form of cabalistic politics; if you are a member of the inner-circle and play by the rules of surreptitiousness then you earn lifetime insulated membership, while those on the outside must be kept out at all cost. This type of insulation unsurprisingly breathes an incestuous culture where wrong doers are not punished simply because they are a part of the in-crowd.

The unique nature of the APNU+AFC coalition government offered a tangible opportunity to break the cyclic culture of cabal and insideroutsider politics. Diving into uncharted Bermuda Triangle type waters to craft a pre-election accord, develop a unified election strategy, execute a multi-party election campaign and win government (in a matter of a few weeks) was a mammoth achievement unprecedented in local and Caribbean politics. To avoid squandering the gains made so far, APNU+AFC must, of necessity, strengthen and deepen a culture of consensus to achieve a new accord that can bear rigorous public scrutiny. For this to be effective each of the two constituents of the coalition must

retain their individuality and independence. There should be no attempt to mask their distinctiveness, otherwise, as a nation, we run the risk of losing the gains we have made and slip right back into cabalism; a style of government mechanism that has isolated, victimized and suppressed so many other stakeholders. The larger coalition members should not attempt to dilute the influence of their smaller counterpart, Guyana is better off if we rule through a process of consensus building in favor of railroading. It affords us the opportunity to strengthen the negotiating capacities of the young Guyanese political cadre, which can only redound to our benefit in the international arena.

The APNU+AFC coalition government, given the little experience we have so far, seems to lend itself to a greater degree of transparency and consensus, giving rise to the conclusion that, given our bitter past of ethnic insecurity, a multiparty government is best suited for Guyana. AFC believes that the future of Guyana is best positioned with multi-party rule and prefers to be part of such a government. However, AFC is not willing to pursue such relationships at ANY cost. Its independence must be assured and any attempts to miniaturize its contributions, its tenets, its founding members or its core commitments to the Guyanese people will be strongly resisted.

LEONARD CRAIG

THE ALLIANCE FOR CHANGE PARTY IS A CHANGING REVOLUTION

By Dillon Goring

The Alliance for Change Party has certainly made a difference in today’s political spectrum.

Since its inception, there has been great changes in the way we do and conduct politics

in Guyana.

The introduction of democracy has given the general populace, the joy of being able to involve in the decision making policies of the Government of the day.

Public Infrastructure is basic to a country‘s development and as a party, we have certainly led the way in enhancing this area.

The AFC has been the party involved in the advancement of Public Telecommunication, thus ensuring that every citizen benefits from the use of the internet whether you are a vendor or a business person.

Our Agriculture sector has grown tremendously under the guidance of the party (AFC).

A nation once described as “the bread basket of the Caribbean”, we are certainly getting back to that place.

A level of confidence has been restored in Police Force, thus under the leadership of the AFC, Policemen and women can now enjoy a comfortable night rest and crime is an all-time low.

The record shows that 155 cases recorded in 2013 fell to 115 in 2017. While figures for

other categories of serious crime which are on the decrease and made mention of the drastic decline in incidents of piracy since 2015, they are more criminals are being caught than ever before.

The same can be said of other agencies that are fall under the leadership of the party.

The project at reference is the innovative government-led Hinterland, Employment and Youth Service, more popularly known by its acronym, HEYS.

"IT was very refreshing to see the change that had occurred after 24 months of the HEYS programme in 215 communities across 10 regions in Guyana,” Ministerial Advisor was quoting as saying.

Under the leadership of the AFC, young business entrepreneurs can now enjoy the benefits of loans, grants to boost their businesses.

The opening and freedom of the media industry to all Guyana is a notable achievement for the party.

The AFC is here to stay and will certainly propel Guyana forward in the future.

AFC- Lethem LGE team

AFC- Bartica Opens Office

CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE

Fourteen years is a long time in the evolution and life of a political party. Many have gone on to last for decades, but most never made it beyond birth. We in the Alliamce For Change have been blessed and fortunate and have every reason to be proud and to even sound a few triumphant notes from our trumpet. We've earned the right.

As Chairman, I am filled with tremendous joy as I recall the many uphill battles we had to overcome and the thrill of victory after each one. From an idea to our first election and from our first National Conference to our entering into Government in just nine short years. Each victory was hard fought and won and we have earned the right to be recognised as one of the established political parties of Guyana and. this hemisphere. No other third party in the Caribbean and elsewhere has succeeded in doing what we did in the same time, and under the same circumstances and constraints as we did. I would be less than fair if I didn't as well recall the pain and anguish of the disappoints

and defeats we also faced along the way from miscalculations and back-stabbing to, more recently, betrayal. But then again, how can a being truly grow to be strong if it is not exposed to the vagaries and vissictiides of life and living.

And so, now, fourteen years later we have a good opportunity to reflect on our humble and difficult beginnings, to touch the scars we bear, and to smile with a deep sense of satisfaction and celebration that we earned each one valiantly. Only we know what we went through and what we've overcome. But fourteen years are not only to be used for reflection, equally, and as importantly, they provide a solid foundation and platform for us to stand on to look ahead and to see the opportunities and tasks, and too, the dangers and snares lying in wait. It is time to exhale, inhale, and step off again. It is time!

In every year of our existence the so-called political pundits have written us off and each year, we ignore them and press forward towards the mark of our high calling to

bring change and transformation to our beloved Guyana. What those misguided and uneducated pundits don't know is that those who are with us are more than those who are against us and because our cause is just, we will succeed. One of my greatest pleasures is to unexpectedly enter a shop and hear persons proclaiming that they are AFC without even recognising that I am present, or to drive along some dusty trail in a far-flung community and see a person proudly going by in an AFC T-shirt.

There is much work to be done ahead. There are many challenges ahead. There is the prize of a better Guyana ahead and we would be failures if we refuse to step forward.

I salute all of the brave youth and men and women who identify with the AFC and thank you for your selfless sacrifice and hardwork that keeps us relevant and engaged in the noble task of shaping the new Guyana that is emerging.

HAPPY 14TH ANNIVERSARY!

Chairman of the Alliance for Change

Raphael Trotman

YOUTH TALK!

Young People in Guyana have hope!

History of Poverty and Turmoil Guyana has seen its fair share of troubles that eroded the confidence and hope of its people both at home and in the diaspora. From independence to the recent past our dear country seemed to be stuck in a perpetual struggle for the type of life that spelled security; security from the threat of violence, hunger, poverty and an identity synonymous with an ill-fated existence. Race relations among our six people suffered for decades and as a result never allowed for a united pride in our people for the nation of their birth. Development was hindered by competition of interests for scarce resources along ethnic lines instead of cooperation born out of national pride or interest to see all Guyanese receive the most good out of the little regardless of ethnicity. Guyana traditionally is pluralistic and marred by racial tension and conflict that never allowed for a patriotic, nationalist attitude to germinate among its citizens, the kind of patriotism that didn’t divide the people according to ethnicity. Despite the troubles of our embattled past there is hope.

Promising Economic Future

Guyana has struck oil and is en-route to earnings that will catapult its GDP into a never before reached economic stratosphere. The land of many waters is fast becoming a land of oil as it prepares for first oil in early 2020. The revenues to be realized from the industry is reality changing and if utilized correctly will positively impact the entire nation. Onto now from independence in 1966 wealth in Guyana has been concentrated among an elite and the security that it affords has only been experienced by those few. Young people in Guyana who are preparing for employment and business possess a confidence that the future looks bright and making the kind of living that can support a family comfortably is highly possible. The security enjoyed by the few is on track to becoming common to all as the expected trickledown effect is likely to be enjoyed by all Guyanese.

Impacting Policy Changes

Beyond the bright economic horizon there are other reasons for hope in the future of the dear land of Guyana. Within the past four years Guyana has seen a policy transformation that has stabilized and begun to positively turn around the social and political landscape in Guyana.

Education and Telecommunication a Powerful Duo

Education which primarily benefits young people has seen several improvements and policy shifts that give reason for hope. One such

improvement was experienced in the statistical gains in passes by both boys and girls at the last Caribbean examination council exams. Policies such as free Wi-Fi at all government buildings including schools on the coast and hinterland regions has allowed for improved access to information for students and teachers. There are untold benefits to students that has been realized by the free government Wi-Fi program and none more promising than the smart classroom program that seeks to employ the use of the interconnectivity afforded by having an internet connection in the classroom to link hinterland classrooms to those on the coastland. Through this initiative hinterland pupils will enjoy the benefit of having access to the same teachers as those on the coast through a live interactive session. No longer will our first (Indigenous) students be disadvantaged due to shortage of teachers and limited access to information but they will now enjoy the same privileges as our students in the city. What this means is that no longer will young brilliant minds from the interior regions be starved for the kind of nurture from information or guidance from knowledgeable tutors they deserve but they can now dream dreams as big as students on the coast.

Innovation and entrepreneurship policies introduced through the STEAM program for the first time has Guyanese youngsters preparing themselves to be pioneers in fields of their interest instead of preparing to fit into a job. Creativity and resourcefulness are being nurtured through the Telecommunications Ministry in hopes of seeing new solutions to old problems by Guyanese youngsters. Movers and inventors of technology are no longer a solely imported commodity but are now home grown by intuitive minds Guyanese molded in a supportive environment. Within the last four years over 1000 students received scholarships to continue fueling innovation and progress locally.

Safe Space to Grow Safety and security has seen several notable policy changes and gains that inspire confidence in the prospects of living a peaceable existence in Guyana. The kind of peace that benefits all, especially Youth, and allows for the minds of citizens to not be overly preoccupied with fear. Instead Guyanese can focus on issues that will ensure the continued progress of a nation moving forward in increments to an existence safer than the past. In fact a social approach to crime prevention has been adopted where the Ministry of Public Security in collaboration with USAID is providing training and capacity building opportunities to youths in depressed communities with the aim of

keeping them from turning to crime. Those initiatives coupled with the reformed Guyana Police Service have garnered improved public relations and trust from those very depressed communities. Falling instances of serious crime and speedy crime solving for example the dismantling of a notorious car-jacking ring, virtual end to robberies after leaving bank, an end to pirate attacks and a severe reduction in the occurrence of police brutality has not only inspired confidence in Guyana by Guyanese but also international safety monitors such as the US State department responsible for travel advisory, trafficking in persons (TIP) index and corruption index which all rewarded Guyana with improved scores.

Youth perspective not burdened by divisive past Still perhaps the most hopeful occurrence in recent history is a new age of racial tolerance among young Guyanese. Guyanese of all racial and religious backgrounds are more respectful and compassionate towards each other more than ever before. No longer is the market place the only space for interaction between the races but slowly Guyanese are coming together in social arenas as well. On social media Guyanese interact with each other regardless of race exchanging culture, ideas and are exposed to each other ways of life in manners that allows for an increase of trust and mutual understanding. National festivals such as Mashramani and Carnival see the coming together of all Guyanese in a spirit of patriotism and fun. Just recently Pagwah was celebrated by all of Guyana not only by Hindus. At the national stadium there wasn’t only a kaleidoscope of colors but also of races and saw the holly festival being embraced by all. Other races embraced Pagwah as Guyanese much like Hindus embrace Christmas as well.

Conclusion of it all

Despite the efforts of a few to sow seeds of distrust and hate among the races for their political gains Guyanese are exercising more racial tolerance. It is hopeful that in the not so distant future young Guyanese will embrace one identity born out of the amalgamation of six people pushing forward in a spirit of unity. Guyana is on a precipice of change, change from ethnic intolerance, change from economic deprivation, change from insecurity to safety and a change from selective policies that only allowed a few to reap the benefits of policies of inclusion that allows every Guyanese to benefit from the gains made by the nation.

By: Kenny Valladares National Secretary Youth For Change

By: Juretha Fernandes President of Youth For Change

The 2018 Local Government Elections saw the Alliance For Change going to the polls alone in what some considered a bad decision of the party given the national perception of Coalition politics in Guyana. Several assessments of the performance of the AFC were highlighted in the media and the party was said to have performed poorly at those elections without actual assessment of any statistical data to support such claims. The AFC is not a mass base party and the expectation going into the LGE was never to come out atop the mass base parties but rather to show that the AFC after a mere 13 years in existence in 2018 had managed to maintain strength and keep a separate identity from its Coalition partner. The results of the 2018 LGE was proof of that, as the AFC came out with an average of 10% in the Local Authority Areas that it contested with a full slate. The numbers provided proof that once the AFC is on a ballot as an option the support base will turn out and vote.

At the return of Local Government Elections (LGE)

AFC AND LGE – WHAT THE 2018 ELECTIONS REALLY MEANT FOR THE PARTY AND YOUTH

to Guyana in 2016 and shortly after that in 2018, the turnout to these elections have been found to be astonishingly low as opposed to what was expected by central government leaders who would have fought to have these elections after over two decades of not having any. The LGE was an end to Interim Management Committees that functioned at a local government level.

Although it is widely known that there is low voter turnout at the Local Government Elections, there was an 11% decrease in voter turnout from 2016 LGE to 2018 LGE. In 2016 the voter turnout was recorded as 47% and in 2018 it was recorded as 36%. And even more alarming was the 24% voter turnout in the Municipality of Georgetown in 2018. This article narrows its focus of LGE to the Municipality of Georgetown, in all fifteen constituencies, as it examines the results of those elections, and the impact of Youth involvement.

What did the Youth arm bring to the AFC during the 2018 elections?

The AFC contested every constituency in the Municipality of Georgetown with 60% of the First Past The Post (FPTP) candidates being Youth. The inclusion of Youth at the Local Government Election was done in every region that the party contested and the mobilization that came with it has to be emphasized. The 2018 LGE provided a means to reconnect with the base and to grow Youth participation. That period saw the registration of new members in every region that was contested, and to date those members have remained with us.

In measuring the buy-in of the electorate to Youth participation at the LGE, we must look at the numbers. Overall the party got 10.8% (3,059 votes) of the total valid votes cast in the Municipality of Georgetown. Of that, the constituencies contested with Youth faces accounted for 8.1% (2,310 votes). This result showed that indeed there was a buy-in from the electorate to the idea of Youth inclusion in leadership.

The AFC – From Strength to Strength

The AFC is the only surviving Third Force that Guyana has seen – it has been around for 14 years – and it continues to grow in number. The 2018 local government election has further proven that the AFC is not only alive, but alive and growing. In Georgetown constituency 12, Tucville – North Ruimveldt, with the highest voter turnout of all fifteen constituencies, the AFC got 22.1 percent of the total valid votes cast with one of the youngest candidates contesting in that constituency. Yes, the numbers tells a significant story – it speaks to the value of the AFC in Current and Future Government, as it is beyond factual that the AFC remains the viable Third Force.

The AFC is tasked with ensuring that we continue as a Nation, to move forward in the direction of National Development and Unity, and to further ensure that we do not take any steps backwards into the political divide that we as a Nation had experienced for generations before. The strength, relevance and endurance of the AFC must be seen now more than ever as the future of Coalition Politics in Guyana and will be outlined by the example that we set today as the Third Force.

Georgetown LGE group on Nomination day