Abel Seetaram, a former regional councillor for Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), has resigned from the Alliance For Change (AFC), citing a number of issues, including the party’s inability to make its own decisions.
His resignation comes on the heels of another senior Party member Gobin Harbhajan resigning.
Both of them have claimed that since joining forces with the PNC-dominated APNU in 2015, the AFC became voiceless.
In his letter of resignation, Seetaram contended that “for five years under the coalition umbrella, the AFC leadership sits back and relaxed in allowing the APNU\PNC to make all the decisions in government”.
He added that, “for five years, we the members, had to keep our mouths shut and allow the AFC failed leadership to handle matters which were of importance and they were all overcome by the APNU\PNC leadership.”
Seetaram contended that AFC regional officials were abused by APNU party members, yet the AFC did nothing about the situation.
“We all have a heart, we have a conscience and like me, many of my AFC brothers and sisters were feeling the pain and were eaten from inside with what was going on and we can’t say anything,” Seetaram detailed in his letter.
“We had to endure a lot from the APNU\PNC during those five years because the AFC leadership became weak and cannot manage to talk back to the APNU\PNC.”
“Members in the AFC were muzzled for five long years by the APNU\PNC and I feel it’s about time we are able to breathe and speak of the things we went through as local members because the leadership is failing its members day after day,” Seetaram highlighted.
He also made reference to the recent elections for regional chairmanship and vice-chairmanship, particularly in Region Four (Demerara Mahaica) where the vice-chair position was promised to the AFC, yet, was given to the PNC.
“The AFC has lost its political will in this country after five years, all because the leadership has failed and continued to fail the party because of self-centered motives and agenda…The AFC I join since its formation is no more. The PNC swallows the AFC. The AFC cannot stand anymore to represent its members,” Seetaram said.
