AFC is not dead – Former MP Rutherford

Former Member of Parliament for the Alliance for Change party, Audwin Rutherford firmly
believes that the party that he had helped to form the government along with APNU in 2015 isn’t
dead. This, he said, is contrary to the beliefs of many that AFC is dead. Speaking exclusively to
www.aroundtheregions.com, Rutherford said, “It’s important that people know that AFC is not
dead and it is far from being dead, I don’t see AFC dying soon. I know that I am making a bold
statement, a statement where persons may want to interpret that it is giving life to where ‘he’ is
coming from or maybe saying ‘he’ is still there.”
The former Region Ten Councillor and MP argues his reasons for expressing the view that AFC
is still alive are as a result of four primary reasons. He expressed the view that because of the
foundation of the AFC it would have been able to be regarded as the best third party in Guyana
even if one was to combine all the small parties together. “This is one of the reasons that would
keep AFC relevant is that the PNC, which they have already done and will continue to do, will
continue to keep AFC alive not by their good treatment but by their bad treatment. The good one
will help in pulling some so that they may feel that they are comfortable, but even the ones that
they pull will be fighting to keep the AFC alive with their one foot in the party. PNC
understanding that they are way bigger than AFC is not prepared to give AFC a chance to
breathe will allow AFC to be relevant as there are many persons outside who would become
sympathetic to AFC because of what the PNC is doing to the AFC,” he opined.
Rutherford dismissed what he called the political play of the PNC in dismissing small parties is
still a stupid one. He spoke about a meeting that the former President David Granger had before
elections with all the parties in the coalition. He noted that shortly after the announcement of the
results the very former President is demanding for the smaller parties to show cause why they
should remain included. This, he said, demonstrates the increasing weakness of the PNC.
Rutherford added 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 AFC goes about and seeks to be the leader for the small parties, it is not impossible, and we
know that. A lot of persons in the small parties were somewhat aligned to the AFC and there are
no lovers of the two bigger parties,” he stressed.
The Former MP who tendered his resignation from the AFC, which he had been with since its
inception declared that AFC remaining alive depends on its ability to provide good leadership.
He admitted that this was one of the reasons for the party losing its way, resulting in many
persons abandoning the party.
“If AFC can provide good leadership, a leadership which allows them to have their say. There
are more things that the AFC really have seen, things that the same small parties have seen,

things better than the two bigger parties. Therefore, if they can skillfully provide that leadership
to the small parties, AFC can stay alive,” the former MP asserted