Guyanese Online

Georgetown, Guyana

Friday 20th February 2015

APNU-AFC COALITION PRESENTS A TEN-POINT PROGRAMME FOR DEMOCRACY, DEVELOPMENT AND NATIONAL UNITY

 A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) have presented a ten-point programme for democracy, development and national unity. This follows their decision to contest the forthcoming General and Regional elections as a single coalition. That decision was embodied in the Cummingsburg Accord signed by Leader of APNU, Brigadier David Granger and Leader of the AFC, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan on the 14^th February 2015.

The APNU and AFC pledged to lead Guyana forward into a new era of accountability, human safety, financial probity, governmental transparency, parliamentary democracy and national unity among other things. The Coalition partners promised that, with the formation of a government of national unity, they would implement a programme of governance, the main elements of which will be:

1.  Constitutional reform: The introduction of a meaningful constitutional reform programme geared towards improved governance and fair representation;
2. Economic development: The creation of a long-term economic development programme based on consultation and consensus and aimed at realising the vast potential of the country;
3. Financial legislation: The passage of amended Anti Money-Laundering and Countering the financing of Terrorism legislation and the establishment of a Public Procurement Commission;
4. Local democracy: The announcement of the date for the holding of local government elections;
5. National unity: The introduction of a programme for healing, reconciliation and social integration;
6. Taxation reform: The comprehensive review of current taxation policies, including the value-added tax;
7.  Telecommunications and information: The review, restructuring and liberalisation of the telecommunications and information sectors;
8.  Public security: The sustained improvement of crime prevention and the security environment;
9.  Public services: The reorganisation of the education, health, sports, recreation and other human service sectors;
10.  Youth Programme: The establishment of a comprehensive youth programme.

The APNU-AFC Coalition, in accordance with the Cummingsburg Accord, commits itself to accept and promote dialogue, discussion and the use of constitutional means to advance economic, political and social change; respect the value and sanctity of human life; maintain high levels of mutual respect; reject ethnicity as a consideration for the participation of citizens in government, denounce corruption and promote financial transparency, probity at all levels of government.

The Coalition’s presidential candidate, Brigadier David Granger, described that the signing of the Cummingsburg Accord as a historic event that marks the start of real inclusionary democracy and the end of the “winner-takes-all” politics in Guyana.

APNU-AFC

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