ANUG LEADER MARK DeFranc REGRETS COLLABORATION WITH WIN, SAYS TRUST WAS MISPLACED
By: Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |
Leader of A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Mark DeFranc, has expressed deep regret over his party’s alliance with the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Party, describing the experience as a hard lesson in political trust and fairness.
Speaking candidly in an interview, DeFranc said the last two election cycles have reshaped his outlook on politics.
“I still believe there is good in people,” he said, “but the past two election cycles have taught me that if you don’t have the ultimate say, you should never trust anyone outright.”
DeFranc lamented that despite prior discussions and a draft agreement that reportedly guaranteed ANUG parliamentary representation based on WIN’s electoral success, no seat was allocated to his party.
“We had guaranteed representation in parliament dependent on the success. It’s out there already… based on some draft agreements shared with the media,” DeFranc noted.
The ANUG leader acknowledged that the decision to partner with WIN — led by US-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed — was controversial, adding that some ANUG executives had initially opposed the move. He stated that the collaboration led to several members resigning from the party.
“It wasn’t with the WIN team in general,” he clarified, “but with the sanctioned individual. That’s where the problem started.”
DeFranc also expressed disappointment that the alliance, which was intended to strengthen opposition unity, has instead devolved into public conflict.
“Many people have been burnt — by what happened with the AFC, with TNM, with LJP, and now with WIN and ANUG,” he said. “But it shouldn’t stop anyone from still trying to be independent and live up to their ideals.”
