The Alliance For Change (AFC) plans to seek further clarity, and even legal advice, on the validity of the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) it attempted to bring against A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Region Four Chairman, Daniel Seeram.
During a press conference on Tuesday, AFC General Secretary David Patterson revealed that the party is not done with its NCM. Region 4 Chairman Daniel Seeram had disallowed the motion in October on ground that it did not conform with the law.
He noted that the adjournment of the meeting following the vetoing of the motion did not allow the AFC to seek clarity on exactly what law the motion did not conform with. According to Patterson, the party also intends to seek legal advice on the way forward when it comes to this motion.
“As you know, at the last RDC meeting, a No-Confidence Motion was tabled. Unfortunately, it was, one, disqualified by the Chairman; and two, the members from the AFC could not further query the validity of this disqualification because the meeting was adjourned,” Patterson explained.
“Our position is that we will seek further clarification to see what were the errors, if any. Even if we have to seek legal opinions or ask the counsel to seek legal opinions on the validity of the motion in general, so that we can be so guided. After that, we can make our decision on what is to be proceeded with.”
The motion in question was moved by AFC member on the RDC Amarnauth Chinkan, and seconded by Bryan Nobrega. It has declared that they have no confidence in the Vice Chairman, and has sought for the Vice-Chairman to instantly step down from that position and for the clerk to make arrangements for a new Vice-Chair to be elected.
The AFC has vented its disagreement over what it says is APNU reneging on an agreement the two parties made for the AFC to get the Vice-Chair positions in Regions Seven and Four following the General and Regional Elections.
True to that agreement, AFC had nominated its candidate Neilson McKenzie for the Region 4 Vice Chairman’s position. However, APNU nominated Samuel Sandy and the PPP nominated Desmond Morian.
Voting along party lines, APNU and PPP had cast their 14 votes each for their candidates, and the AFC, with its five votes, backed McKenzie. Seeram then used his deciding vote to elect Sandy, overriding the AFC’s nominee.
Since it came into office after joining forces with the APNU in 2015, the minority AFC has been criticised for the submissive role it has been playing to the abusive APNU. Decisions the former Government made, such as the closure of sugar estates, which put thousands of sugar workers out of jobs, were passed unchallenged and even supported by the AFC. This is despite the AFC retaining the Agriculture Ministry.
