GEORGETOWN, Guyana — With just under three months to go before Guyanese head to the polls on September 1, cracks within the country’s opposition are widening — and now playing out in public.
Two sitting opposition Members of Parliament, Amanza Walton-Desir of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) and Juretha Fernandes of the Alliance For Change (AFC), have broken their silence on the deepening rift between their parties, voicing frustration over failed coalition talks and the lack of unity heading into the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
The fallout follows the official collapse of negotiations between A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) — led primarily by the PNC/R — and the AFC. The AFC recently declared its intention to contest the upcoming elections independently. APNU, while saying it remains open to further dialogue, is pressing ahead with its own campaign preparations.
In a public statement posted to her official Facebook page, Walton-Desir did not mince words, criticizing what she called a lack of urgency and clarity in the negotiation process.
“I, like the majority of our supporters, am deeply frustrated and fed up with the state of the negotiations,” she wrote. “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 alienating voters by appearing disorganised and consumed by internal disagreements.
“The future will not forgive us, history will not absolve us,” she said.
Fernandes, an AFC parliamentarian, echoed those concerns. She raised questions about the party’s push for a so-called “consensus candidate” — a concept she says had been previously dismissed by the AFC’s own senior leadership.
“This idea formed the basis for heavy discussions a year ago in my party, and it was wholly dismissed,” Fernandes stated. “So you can only imagine my surprise when reading about consensus candidates promoted by the very people who strongly rejected that idea.”
She also criticised the apparent willingness to elevate newcomers to top positions, suggesting that experience and loyalty to the party’s mission should not be overlooked.
“Governance is no walk in the park,” she said. “It demands not only knowledge of how the system functions but also a deep commitment to crafting policies that benefit the people, not oneself.”
At the heart of the dispute is the selection of a presidential candidate. The AFC, led by attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes, had proposed a neutral, broadly acceptable figure — with names like former Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge floated as possible candidates. But the idea was rejected by APNU, which remains firmly behind its leader, Aubrey Norton.
In his own Facebook post, Hughes sought to push back against what he called “mischaracterisations” of the AFC’s position. He said the party never demanded the presidential slot but had called for a candidate who could unify the opposition and inspire public confidence.
As tensions escalate, some political watchers say the breakdown in talks is not just a disagreement over personalities but a reflection of deeper strategic and ideological divides.
APNU recently reaffirmed its commitment to contest the elections under its current structure, name-checking the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) as one of its coalition partners — a detail some analysts interpret as a subtle reshaping of alliances ahead of the vote.
The reaction from the public has been swift and largely critical. On social media, supporters and political observers have accused both parties of putting personal ambition above national interest. Some have pointed to the exodus of key figures from the coalition, many of whom have now pledged their support to the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
With the governing PPP/C already in campaign mode, the opposition’s internal turmoil raises questions about its readiness to mount a serious challenge — especially at a time when the country is undergoing significant economic transformation.
If the current divisions remain unresolved, the opposition could find itself heading into the 2025 elections more fragmented than ever — and at a disadvantage against a ruling party eager to extend its hold on power.
