Alliance For Change (AFC) Execu-tive member Michael Carrington is advocating that the presidential candidate of the party be elected through an open democratic process, allowing the party’s membership to elect the candidate from a list of persons interested in contesting for the position.
Carrington, who is a Region Four councillor for the party, told Stabroek News that given the party’s large membership and commitment to democracy it is important that its members have a say in who is the presidential candidate. He also said that other members in the party should be allowed to contest for the post of presidential candidate if they so desire. He said otherwise it would be as if the party members were being “locked out” of the process.
Carrington’s comments come at a time when there is reportedly some amount of disagreement among several members of the executive over rotation of the party’s leadership. A special meeting of the party’s National Executive is scheduled for today in order to address these issues.
A settlement of the issue could see current leader Raphael Trotman stepping down to allow Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan to assume leadership and being subsequently endorsed by Trotman as the presidential candidate at the next Delegates’ Conference, in the run up to the 2011 general elections. The party was founded on a rotation principle, which the party’s principals – Trotman, Ramjattan and Sheila Holder – agreed to as a gesture to affirm solidarity and indicate a break from the race-based politics said to be perpetuated by the PPP/C and PNCR.
Carrington said yesterday that if the principals had agreed from the inception that they would rotate the leadership of the party, then they should stick to this agreement but allow other party members to contest for the presidential candidacy. He indicated that he was interested in contesting for the post of presidential candidate of the party as an individual from the “grassroots” and that he would do so “without any fear.”
He was quick to point out his support for both Trotman and Ramjattan but said that he was advocating for a process where the entire membership is involved.
Pointing to the party’s constitution, Carrington said there are provisions that allow for a person other than the leader to be the presidential candidate at an election. He also stated that while the party speaks about various senior positions of the AFC being “rotated as far as possible,” this rotation should be done through an electoral process.
He also said that the constitution states that no member is allowed to serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office.
Carrington said he intends to articulate his views at today’s meeting, which will see participation from both local and overseas chapters of the party.
He said that he is optimistic that there will be a positive response and noted he had already expressed some of his views at a forum the party had a few months ago.
Last July, Trotman was returned unopposed as party leader at the AFC’s Second Delegates’ Convention. Ramjattan was also returned as party Chairman, while Sheila Holder was returned as vice-chairperson. Stabroek News was told that while some members support Trotman continuing in the position, others insist that there be adherence to the “rotation principle.”
