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Tuesday, October 18th 2005
The Alliance For Change (AFC) has received some 1,000 applications for party membership over the two weeks since the forms were made available to the public, joint leader of the new movement Raphael Trotman said.
Asked to comment on developments within the party and preparations for the October 29 launch of the AFC, Trotman said that since the forms were made available the response had been heartening. The number of applicants was probably more than some of the established parties could boast about, he added.
Membership to the AFC requires a fee of $200. The sum was based on recommendations the leadership of the movement received during their interactions with the public.
Trotman said over the last few weeks the party worked on developing and refining its vision, mission statement, and strategic plan among other things, which both himself and joint leader Khemraj Ramjattan would present at the launching.
Local and foreign experts including overseas-based Guyanese are assisting in crafting the strategic plan, he said.
He said that the party was focusing on a strategic plan and was shying away from the word manifesto in presenting its philosophy, objectives and plan of action.
The strategic plan, he said, covers a broad spectrum including the adoption of the National Development Strategy in which some of the strategies would be updated. Issues of crime, regional development (including a devolution of political and economic control) and moving the regions away from a number system to giving them names and personalities of their own are also being looked at, he said.
He said the main principals of the AFC included WPA MP Sheila Holder and television station owner Anthony Vieira, but there were other personalities giving support to the movement and they would associate themselves publicly with the party after it has been launched.
During a walkabout on Water Street on Saturday with the other principals, he said, one of the frequently asked questions was whether or not they believed in God which gave an indication that people were looking for divine intervention in the governance of the country. Meanwhile, regarding the launching of the Guyana Third Force, Trotman said the AFC was not perturbed about the grouping but observed that it was unfortunate there has been some confusion about the identity of the two entities.
The AFC, he said, was not out to pick fights with persons competing to get followers but rather to keep focused on the task ahead which was to ensure that the ruling party in government did not get a majority at the next elections.
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