As Guyana inches closer to the 2025 General and Regional Elections on September 01, internal discord within the country’s main opposition parties is spilling into the public domain. Two sitting opposition Members of Parliament — Amanza Walton-Desir of the PNC/R and Juretha Fernandes of the AFC — have issued pointed statements, signalling frustration and dissatisfaction with how the coalition talks between A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) have unfolded.
Both statements come on the heels of a formal breakdown in negotiations between the two parties. The AFC announced recently that it would contest the elections independently, while APNU — comprising primarily the PNC/R — has said it remains open to further discussions, even as it prepares to move forward with its own electoral plans.
In a strongly worded statement on her official Facebook page, PNC/R parliamentarian Amanza Walton-Desir criticised the prolonged and unresolved negotiations, stating that the delay is eroding public confidence and weakening the opposition’s ability to present a united front.
“I, like the majority of our supporters, am deeply frustrated and fed up with the state of the negotiations,” she said. “Six months later, we are no closer to an agreement and seem more divided than when we started.”
Walton-Desir, who serves as Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs, warned that the opposition risks failing those who rely on them for leadership by fostering a climate of “division and public bickering.”
“The future will not forgive us, history will not absolve us,” she added.
Earlier, AFC Member of Parliament Juretha Fernandes questioned the legitimacy and strategic rationale behind her party’s push for a so-called “consensus candidate” to lead a potential coalition.
In her statement, Fernandes disclosed that the concept had previously been rejected within the AFC by senior leadership, only to be reintroduced under different circumstances.
“This idea formed the basis for heavy discussions a year ago in my party, and it was wholly dismissed by those considered senior leaders,” she said. “So you can only imagine my surprise when reading about consensus candidates promoted by the very people who strongly dismissed that idea.”
Fernandes also voiced concern over the trend of elevating political outsiders to leadership roles without sufficient experience or proven commitment to the party’s cause.
“Governance is no walk in the park,” she stated. “It demands not only knowledge of how the system functions but also a deep commitment to crafting policies that benefit the people, not oneself.”
The fallout between APNU and AFC has been attributed largely to a disagreement over the selection of a presidential candidate. The AFC, led by Nigel Hughes, has advocated for a non-partisan “consensus candidate,” proposing names such as former Vice President and Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge. According to Hughes, these suggestions were rejected by APNU, which maintained that its leader, Aubrey Norton, should head the ticket.
In a recent Facebook post, Hughes rejected what he described as “mischaracterisations” of the AFC’s position, clarifying that the party had not demanded the presidential spot, but rather a candidate that could represent a genuine unifying figure.
Meanwhile, APNU has reaffirmed its readiness to contest the elections, and notably referenced the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) as part of its current coalition structure—a move interpreted by some analysts as a signal of shifting alliances.
The impasse has triggered public backlash, with many citizens expressing disappointment over what they view as political posturing at the expense of national interest. Social media commentary has been critical, with accusations of selfishness and a failure to prioritise the needs of ordinary Guyanese.
In recent weeks, the APNU+AFC coalition has seen a string of defections, with several senior members—including former ministers and party stalwarts—now publicly throwing their support behind the governing PPP/C.
Observers say the opposition’s fragmentation could weaken its ability to mount a serious challenge to the ruling PPP/C government, which has already begun positioning itself for re-election amid Guyana’s rapidly changing economic landscape.
The post ‘Enough is enough’ – Opposition women speak out as APNU+AFC unity crumbles appeared first on News Room Guyana.
