A delegation from opposition coalition APNU on Monday met with President Donald Ramotar and his team on “advancing the national governance agenda” but there was no apparent breakthrough on thorny laws or local government polls neither was a date agreed for Parliament to reconvene when the PPP/C administration will likely face the AFC’s motion of no-confidence.
Political observers say the APNU decision to meet with the President at this point could raise further doubts about the motion of no-confidence and perhaps in recognition of this, the opposition coalition reiterated yesterday it remains committed to supporting the vote when it is brought to the floor of the National Assembly.
Observers say that the government and APNU appear to be testing the waters for a political agreement that could seize the initiative from the Alliance For Change (AFC) which has dictated the agenda in recent weeks with its push for the no-confidence vote which would force general elections in three months. Observers say it would be in the PPP/C’s interest to stall both local government and national elections and to find a way to drive a wedge between APNU and the AFC. On other hand, observers say that APNU is seeking some tangible concession it can present to its supporters in the wake of months of negative publicity over its recent delegates conference and a deepening rift with its support base in Linden.
While the government was silent yesterday on the meeting, APNU issued a press release setting out the terms of the discussion. It also issued a separate press release reiterating its support for the motion of no-confidence.
Observers have posited that if it is indeed supportive of the no-confidence motion then that should have been uppermost in the talks with Ramotar
