PPP is a better Coalition than APNU/AFC

– Former MP–

Former Member of Parliament (MP) from 2015-2020, Audwin Rutherford firmly believes that
the PPP while not spending six months s yet in office have started off as a better coalition than
the coalition government that he was a part of from 2015-2020. He said that while its too early to
comment on the party’s performance thus far in a big way, they have started off demonstrating
the willingness to be inclusive.
Rutherford expressed this view while speaking to www.aroundtheregions.com, where he said
that e middle pole this should have been the approach of the former government to ensure that all
the small parties that were part of the 2015-2020 government got an opportunity to properly
contribute.
Rutherford had dismissed what he called the political play of the PNC in dismissing small parties
is still a stupid one.  He had stated previously that while the PNC is certainly the middle pole in
the benab, the AFC still plays a critically important role as it takes more than the middle pole for
the PNC to win an election.
“If the PPP can, what I think PPP is trying to do is to be a real coalition more than the coalition
that we had. They are incorporating some of the small parties, which will create the message that
the unity party system is the best for Guyana,” the former MP said.
Rutherford argued that while he isn’t sure as to how long the PPP will continue this image, he
firmly believes that if they (PPP) can manage to keep it going for their five years in office, then it
will reduce the APNU party into permanent opposition. He noted that Guyanese are eager for a
government that is all inclusive, stressing that the APNU had mistreated the AFC, resulting in
many of the AFC supporters being involved in some way with several of the small new parties..
“I am not sure if they can hold this for long but if they do it would certainly damage the
resurrection of the AFC and it would also allow the PNC to take a permanent back burner
position. The way the PPP goes about administration will determine if they remain there for a
long time or provide an opportunity to the AFC,” he said.
The former MP who tendered his resignation from the AFC had some words of advice for his
former colleague. He warned that if they (AFC) is going to remain relevant they must continue to
and present a multi ethnic face. “Things are not as good as they were in the beginning, but they
must maintain a multiethnic face to keep them alive,” he stressed.
Rutherford declared that the legitimacy of the FC solely depends on the performance of the PPP.
As such, he said that while the AFC has an opportunity to improve itself, this depends solely on
the performance of the PPP.

“PPP quality of leadership not only allows small parties to seem relevant, but their quality of
leadership can lend to the death of the AFC or the rebirth of the AFC. So, if the PPP should slide
into the gutter with their leadership, they will aid in the rebirth of the AFC,” he said.
Declaring that the AFC has to prevent itself from making similar mistakes that were made by the
United Force (UF), Rutherford expressed the view that the UF may have still been alive and had
more relevance if they had held unto some amount of independence. “UF might have been able
to hold unto a little string if they had remained independent and this should be the AFC guide.
Overly wrapping yourself under somebody cloth or clothing will not see you remaining alive,”
he declared.
Drawing reference to how he describes the PNC and AFC, Rutherford warned that AFC
continues to lose its independence because of the manner in how the PNC operates. He described
you will have curry squash; you wouldn’t get anything else. The AFC overly becoming part of
the PNC can be best described as you are putting two things together and you get the first and
that is the thing to note,” he stated.
He admitted that there continue to be several questions as to why he chose now to leave the party
that he had been with from its inception, Rutherford said that there continues to be a number of
challenges facing the AFC. “You can't see something going down the drain and you don’t have
any say, don’t fool yourself you don’t have any say in it  and you continue to be a part of that,”
he declared.