AFC’s Imran Khan says he and wife threatened by ‘thug’ associated with party executive

Imran Khan
Imran Khan

Alliance For Change member Imran Khan, who is also the government’s Director of Public Information this afternoon said that he and his wife have been threatened by a “thug” associated with a senior official of the party.

The statement came as the party prepares for a key meeting this weekend overshadowed by reports of internal bickering.

The statement by Khan follows:

STATEMENT BY IMRAN KHAN

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE MEMBER

ALLIANCE FOR CHANGE

THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2019

 

The Alliance For Change is Guyana’s leading liberal and progressive political party. After this weekend’s National Conference and elections I am confident that it will continue to grow in membership and stature.

 

Recent events however, in the internal political skirmishes have given rise to the fear that there are those who place self-interest and personal entitlement and ambition above the interest of the party, the Coalition Government and Guyana.

 

This is a development which ought to be of serious concern to party members and the wider Guyanese public. Many Guyanese have reposed confidence and trust in the AFC to represent their interests and would be disturbed to learn of these developments and machinations, principally engineered by a small band of self-serving, entitled persons.

 

During the PPP regime, when I lived and worked in Antigua, and engaged in political activism against the PPP government, it was reported to me that a former PPP President had vowed that as long as he was in charge I would never work in Guyana again.

 

Now, a well known hooligan, thug and convicted felon who is being cuddled, sheltered and protected by a very senior executive of my own political party has threatened me and my wife that when his benefactor attains a certain political office my wife and I will be “chased back to Antigua”.

 

This senior party executive is fueling this thug and his co-conspirators with alcohol and political promises to camp outside the party headquarters on a daily basis and abuse and intimidate persons who are considered not to be supportive of their cause.

 

Another political thug who is a known supporter of this high official has been actively engaged in attempting to have my name removed from the delegates list and has vowed that he will leave no stone unturned until he is successful. So far he has not been successful. I shall not be prevented from fulfilling my duties as a delegate to the National Conference this weekend.

 

Agents and collaborators of this high executive conspired to have my wife, who is the Secretary of Women For Change, removed as a WFC delegate at the very last minute. A battle had to be waged for her to be restored as a delegate.

 

This is not the usual cut and thrust of politics. This is the politics of stench and destruction which the AFC must demolish with haste lest it begins to infect the entire party.

 

It is indeed bewildering that someone who played a central role in birthing, nurturing and building a political movement could be so eager to destroy and endanger that very movement in the pursuit of naked ambition on the basis purely of entitlement.

 

Dangerously, criminals and misfits are infiltrating the AFC with a view to changing its character and direction and the party must take decisive and condign action to weed them out with haste.

 

The AFC must ensure that political sanity and good order is restored immediately after this weekend’s conference. What is being done is embarrassing the party inside and out. I have confidence that the good people who make up the membership of the AFC, understand what has taken place and will act decisively to thwart the efforts of those who seek to embarrass and cause division and destruction within the party.