By Michael Younge
Working Peoples Alliance Party (WPA) Executive Dr David Hands says that while his party has concerns about the Executive policy decisions being adopted by the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change coalition, no decision has been made yet to recall two of the party’s representatives from serving the current Government in various capacities.
Dr Hinds was at the time responding to questions posed by Inews in light of statements and threats which he made earlier in the week related to the WPA’s relationship with the APNU and PNC.
He was asked specifically whether the WPA had considered recalling Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and Desmond Trotman from the posts they currently hold as a sign of protest over the apparent neglect, disdain and disregard being shown by the David Granger-led coalition for the concerns of the WPA.
Dr Roopnaraine and Desmond Trotman were been appointed to Parliament after being selected by the WPA as its representatives in the APNU coalition back in 2011.
After the coalition won the 2015 elections, Dr Roopnaraine was first appointed as Education Minister, before being demoted to head a Department of Public Service within the Ministry of the Presidency, where he serves as Minister with responsibility for Public Service. Trotman on the other hand was sworn in as the coalition’s new GECOM Commissioner.
Only recently, Dr Roopnaraine broke ranks with key players in the WPA who had critcised the coalition’s leadership for not practising good governance, inclusivity, and democratic decision-making tendencies by saying that they would have a hard time trying to convince him that the WPA should walk away from the coalition in order to save its image and preserve the legacy of Dr Walter Rodney.
“We have not gotten to that point yet”, he said when questioned.
He maintained that the PNC or the APNU cannot win future elections that are free and fair without the WPA or AFC.
“The PNC cannot win a free and fair election on its own at this historical juncture. The demographics are not in its favour. When you add to that the fact that a new generation of African Guyanese (has) no emotional attachment to the party and are more inclined to the APNU, that possibility becomes so remote. The PNC’s only chance of remaining in Government is via a partnership or Coalition. In that regard, it needs the AFC and the WPA”, the Political Scientist said.
“So every time the PNC faction behaves in ways that undermine the AFC and WPA, they alienate not only Indian Guyanese but the growing African Guyanese section of the society that (is) not wedded to party paramountcy and the notion of PNC invincibility”, he remarked.
