Senior AFC members indicate willingness to lead party

According to News Source Guyana, while Hughes and Trotman are both popular members of the party and the government, neither of them serve in the leadership of the Alliance For Change.
In the past, Trotman has served in the past as AFC Leader and while Hughes’ husband, Nigel Hughes, has served as Chairman of the party.
In an interview with News Source Guyana, Hughes, who is Minister of Public Telecommunications in the coalition government, said she is ready and prepared for leadership of the party, if so nominated.
Hughes is very popular among the women and youth of the party and political observers believe that once she campaigns to those two groups mainly, they could ensure she becomes the next leader of the AFC.
Since the 2011 death of founding member, Sheila Holder, no other woman has served in the AFC’s leadership, although several women, including Hughes, who serve on the National Executive Committee.
While former party leader, Trotman said he will be at the AFC Congress and will be ready to serve in the party’s leadership once nominated and elected to any of the positions.
He said he would be humbled to be considered and to serve in the party’s leadership.
“I have not been made aware that I have been nominated, but I will always be ready and willing to serve, if nominated, in any position”, he said.
Current party leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, who has already served two terms as party leader, has indicated that he is willing to serve in the position again.  That decision has triggered grumblings among AFC members and political watchers who have pointed out that such a move would be going against the party’s own constitution and rotation system.
However, in a statement on issued on Saturday, the party pointed out that  “Constitution does not make it mandatory for such rotation and leaves room for the membership to nominate or elect leaders to continue in a post for a longer period.”
In the past Ramjattan himself has spoken about the importance of the need for the party’s leadership to be rotated.
When Trotman served as Leader, he did not seek re-election, but cleared the way for Ramjattan to be elevated to the position unopposed.
The deadline for nominations is 12 noon on Monday and the final list of nominees will be announced on Wednesday .