-As President, I would consult opposition once a month-Hughes
While all major political parties are promising the electorate transformative development, Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Nigel Hughes is holding out that his party is a cut above the rest.
During an interview on Context, a talk show led by veteran journalist, Enrico Woolford, Hughes said the AFC is a different political animal as its agenda for the people is underpinned by a vision for long term development.
With respect to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Hughes said it has not set out a 10 to 15 year plan for development. “We believe our development trajectory should be driven by data. You should have a State Planning Secretary…Our fundamental difference with them is that there’s no long-term plan,” said Hughes.
He further noted that the PPP/C is allergic to consultation with the otherside, adding that it has never consulted with Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton on Guyana’s development. In stark contrast to the AFC, Hughes said consultation is engrained in the ethos of the party.
“If I were privileged enough to become president, I would be consulting with the opposition parties and civil society, I would say every month to every six weeks, because this is a collective effort. That’s not the approach of the People’s Progressive Party.
With respect to the People’s National Congress Reform, Hughes said the AFC sets itself apart given its approach to governance.
Hughes said, “Our approach is inclusive. We don’t assume that we have all the intellectual resources to run the country.”
Hughes was keen to note that Constitutional Reform is an issue that is close to the heart of the AFC, noting that it is necessary to change the current structure for power sharing. The AFC Leader recalled that when his party was in office alongside the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) the former Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo requested a report on how to restructure the country. He reasoned that in a multi-ethnic country, a construct where all the executive power goes to the person who gets the most votes does not bode well for good governance.
“Even if you get 40 out of 100 votes, you get all the executive power. That is no longer, if it ever was, relevant. Neither can it develop the country. We have to be like Suriname.
“We have to have a president in which 60% of the members of the parliament say, yes, we agree this person must be president. So for us, constitutional reform is absolutely fundamental,” said Hughes.
He said this is not the messaging of the APNU, hence his position that AFC is a completely different political animal.
