-teams could be set up on guidelines for engagement
After days of anticipation over a joint statement expected to outline a new level of cooperation between the opposition parties, the much-awaited document released yesterday offered little in the way of concrete decisions, with We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) confirming that they have not reached agreement on any of the substantive matters discussed.
The statement followed a meeting between Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and a delegation from WIN and representatives of APNU headed by its Leader Aubrey Norton, but rather than announcing agreements on the issues that triggered the engagement, the parties said they would first consult internally before deciding whether to establish teams to develop guidelines for future cooperation.
The parties specifically stated that “no final decisions were taken on the substantive matters discussed at the meeting.”
Among the issues on the table were matters concerning the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), including the appointment of Commissioners and electoral scrutineers; the ongoing impasse affecting the functioning of the Region 10 Regional Democratic Council; and nominations to the Local Government Commission.
However, the joint statement did not disclose any agreement on any of those matters, nor did it provide details of a common position reached by the two opposition groupings. Instead, WIN said it would consult its leadership and membership before deciding whether to name a three-member team to work alongside a three-member APNU team to develop “general and specific guidelines” governing the parties’ engagement.
APNU, for its part, is also expected to consult with the other parties within its coalition before selecting its three-member team.
The arrangement therefore remains at the discussion stage, with the proposed teams yet to be formally established and their mandate still to be worked out.
The meeting was described by the parties as cordial and as providing an opportunity for both sides to exchange views on the framework for political cooperation. However, the statement provided no timeline for the consultations, no date for the proposed teams to begin their work and no indication of when the public could expect substantive agreements.
The lack of concrete outcomes is particularly notable given that the meeting was rooted in a series of letters exchanged between WIN and APNU over issues requiring political coordination.
The GECOM-related matters, for instance, have direct implications for the opposition’s participation in the electoral process, while the Region 10 Regional Democratic Council impasse and Local Government Commission nominations concern the functioning of local and regional governance.
The WIN delegation was led by Mohamed and included MPs Odessa Primus, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, Natasha Singh, Duarte Hetsberger and Vishnu Panday. APNU’s delegation included Norton; PNCR General Secretary Sherwin Benjamin; Ronald Daniels, Shaneika Haynes, and MPs Dr David Hinds, Ganesh Mahipaul, Coretta McDonald, and Dr Dexter Todd.
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