Georgetown: President David Granger on Wednesday announced that Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader Khemraj Ramjattan has not been chosen as his Prime Ministerial candidate as the APNU+AFC Coalition heads into the March 02 elections.
“I have not named a Prime Ministerial Candidate but I know what I am going to do,” Granger told reporters, “I reserve the right to choose and nominate a Prime Minister and I will nominate all ministers, including the Prime Minister, who is my chief Minister, after the elections,” Granger stated.
Over the past two decades political parties usually name a Prime Ministerial candidate in time for nomination day.
Just after the revised accord was signed between President Granger and AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan, the President indicated that it was agreed that the office of the Prime Minister will be strengthened under a new APNU+AFC government.
The APNU/ AFC coalition launched its elections campaign last Friday and announced MR Ramjattan not as the Prime Ministerial Candidate but as the Leader of the AFC.
The AFC has chosen Khemraj Ramjattan to be the Prime Ministerial Candidate it is unclear if that agreement is included in the new accord since it has not been released to the public.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday the AFC said it is well-aware that the President has the constitutional right to appoint the Prime Minister and other ministers of government following an election.
That party seized the opportunity to reiterate that it has already selected its leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, to be the next Prime Minister of Guyana if the AFC+A Partnership for National Unity (AFC+APNU) coalition wins the March 2, 2020 general elections.
The AFC said it is well aware of the constitutional steps regarding appointments once the election results are known. However, the party said the process did not change the fundamental agreement that the AFC names the Prime Ministerial candidate and have named Ramjattan.
The AFC’s statement came a few hours after President David Granger made his announcement.
But the AFC said that directly contradicted provisions of the recently signed Revised Cummingsburg Accord which embodies the agreements between the two political organisations.
“The assertion that he will choose and nominate the Prime Minister after the election is gratuitous and confusing to our supporters and the wider electorate,” said the General Secretary of the AFC David Patterson.
The AFC said it hoped clarity has been brought to the issue, which was carefully considered and agreed during the Cummingsburg Accord discussions.
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