Opposition parties in Guyana, the Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), will not contest the 2025 elections as a coalition, following the collapse of talks to revive their former political alliance.
“Regrettably, despite the best efforts of our negotiation team, we’ve been unable to arrive at a mutually beneficial arrangement with APNU,” AFC executive David Patterson said at a press conference on Thursday. He confirmed the AFC’s decision to formally withdraw from coalition discussions, stating the party will now proceed independently given that “time is of the essence.”
The two parties had agreed in January 2025 to explore the possibility of rekindling their coalition, which had successfully contested the 2015 elections and governed until their defeat in 2020. Talks were expected to conclude by the end of March, but no agreement was reached by that deadline.
A key sticking point was the issue of leadership. Opposition Leader and head of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), Aubrey Norton, had made clear his intention to lead any future coalition. However, the AFC remained firm in its support for its leader, Nigel Hughes, as the presidential candidate.
Despite the impasse, Patterson said the AFC remains open to future collaboration. “We still believe there are other avenues through which the two opposition parties can collaborate,” he said. “And the door is always open should there be a change of heart ahead of Nomination Day.”
The AFC and APNU’s previous partnership under the APNU+AFC banner brought them to power in 2015, unseating the long-ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP). But the alliance unraveled following their loss in the disputed 2020 elections, and efforts to reunite have now officially fallen through.
With the 2025 elections fast approaching, the divided opposition will now head into the race on separate paths, reshaping the political dynamics ahead of a crucial vote.
