As the deadline for forming a coalition between the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) passed on March 31, there was no resolution on whether the two parties would once again team up for the upcoming general elections.
The two political parties had agreed in January 2025 to explore the possibility of rekindling their coalition, which had been in place from 2015 until 2020.
However, their partnership dissolved after the pair lost the 2020 elections.
Now, with the 2025 elections on the horizon, talks were expected to reach a conclusion by the end of March, but no agreement was reached by the Monday deadline.
A key sticking point in the discussions appears to be the issue of who will be the presidential candidate.
Opposition leader and leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), Aubrey Norton, has made it clear that he intends to lead the coalition into the election. However, the AFC is firmly standing by its earlier decision to have its own leader, Nigel Hughes, as the presidential candidate.
In a statement issued late on Sunday, March 30, the AFC confirmed that it had approved its conditions for the coalition following a special meeting of the National Executive Committee. According to the statement, the AFC is sticking to its stance on Hughes as the presidential candidate, and also put forward a proposal for a 60-40 power-sharing split, with 60% of positions in the coalition government to be held by APNU representatives.
Furthermore, the AFC outlined several conditions for the coalition, including a clause stating that the party from which the presidential candidate is chosen should not be allowed to nominate or hold the position of Leader of the List.
However, Norton and the APNU appear to be standing firm in their position, with the PNC/R making it clear that they are not prepared to make concessions to the AFC on this matter. While the two leaders met on Monday morning to discuss the situation further, no public statement was made about the outcome of the talks.
Despite the tension, both Hughes and Norton have previously expressed support for businessman Terrence Campbell as a potential consensus candidate to lead the opposition coalition.
The Working People’s Alliance (WPA), a member of the APNU, has also indicated that it is comfortable with either Hughes or Norton leading the opposition.
Simona Broomes, a former minister under the coalition government who has since formed her own political movement, weighed in on the ongoing discussions. She suggested that despite the passing of the March 31 deadline, there was still room for the two parties to continue negotiations and potentially come to an agreement at a later date.
As talks continue, all eyes will remain on whether the APNU and AFC can overcome their differences and form a united front ahead of the crucial 2025 elections.
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