The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Chairman Aubrey Norton has written to Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, demanding that the party be given at least one seat among the opposition’s nominees to the Local Government Commission (LGC).
In a strongly worded letter copied to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, Norton objected to APNU being left out of the nominees submitted for the commission, which plays a key role in the hiring, discipline and dismissal of local government officers across Guyana.
Norton said APNU submitted two names for consideration, Joan Ann Ramascindo and Ronald Daniels, and expected at least one of them to be included among the three nominees sent to the President.
“APNU’s position is clear,” Norton said in the letter. “With 12 seats in the National Assembly and elected councillors across the local government system, APNU has a legitimate and compelling claim to at least one seat on the Local Government Commission.”
He said the matter should be reconsidered and that APNU should be properly represented among the opposition’s nominees.
The dispute comes after three names were reportedly submitted for the Local Government Commission: Leola Naraine and Leslyn Lowe of We Invest in Nationhood, and Nicholas Chesney of Forward Guyana.
Norton said APNU was disappointed that it was not formally informed of the decision, particularly since Mohamed’s office had previously initiated communication with APNU on the issue.
“This is particularly disappointing given that your office had initiated communication with APNU on this very matter,” Norton said.
He added that once APNU had been asked to make recommendations, there was a clear expectation that one of its nominees would have been selected.
Norton argued that APNU’s parliamentary strength and presence in local government make its exclusion difficult to justify.
He pointed out that APNU holds 12 seats in the National Assembly, compared with WIN’s 16 seats and Forward Guyana’s one seat. He also noted that APNU has councillors serving in municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils.
According to Norton, no law prevents APNU from being represented on the commission, and fairness and political proportionality should guide the selection of nominees.
The APNU Chairman also warned that excluding the party from the Local Government Commission could damage opposition unity at a time when the opposition is expected to hold the government accountable.
He said such an approach sends a signal of a divided opposition and weakens the collective effort to demand better governance for the people of Guyana.
Norton said while APNU and WIN may have political differences, both parties must recognise the support they received from voters and the responsibility that comes with that mandate.
He said that responsibility requires the opposition to work together in the interest of the Guyanese people.
