Opposition Parliamentarian Ganesh Mahipaul says the APNU refused to be ‘bullied’ by the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party during negotiations over how the opposition would function in the 13th Parliament.
And according to him, APNU’s response instead was to outperform, and they “did just that.”
Speaking candidly about tensions inside the 29-seat opposition bench during an extended interview with the News Room’s Kurt Campbell, Mahipaul revealed that shortly after the election results, he moved to establish a working arrangement between WIN (16 seats), APNU (12 seats), and Amanza Walton-Desir (one seat).
He proposed to follow the proportional representation method.
“You have 16, we have 12, Amanza has one. Out of 20 ministries, that means 11 for WIN, eight for us, and one for her,” he said.
Instead, Mahipaul claims WIN pushed for 13 shadow ministries and offered APNU just six while also seeking to determine which six APNU would receive.
“I was not prepared to entertain that kind of bullyism,” he said bluntly.
Even after offering a compromise, taking four ministries of APNU’s choice and allowing WIN to assign four, Mahipaul said the approach did not change.
“They were hell-bent on throwing to us whatever they wanted to throw.”
That, he said, forced APNU to walk away.
“We said fine. You’re the main opposition? Shadow everything.”
Mahipaul also rejects the idea that APNU’s reduced numbers make it weaker.
He argues that ego clashes and fragmentation destroyed the larger APNU/AFC coalition. In contrast, he says the current 12-member APNU bench is disciplined and prepared.
APNU MPs, including first-timers, were praised during the budget debates with Mahipaul himself earning commendation across the aisle.
“We’re going to capture the Speaker’s eye. We’re going to ask our questions. And we’re going to outshine our opponents,” he said.
Mahipaul also dismissed the narrative that WIN’s newness explains its sometimes-lacking performance.
“We have new MPs too,” he said. “And our old MPs guided our new MPs.”
WIN, he pointed out, has returning Parliamentarians who should bring experience to the table.
“It’s not like they don’t know how this place works.”
He even referenced moments during budget scrutiny where he expected WIN to press certain issues and they didn’t.
Despite the friction, Mahipaul insists he wants a united opposition front against the government’s 36-seat majority.
“We need to be a better 29 fighting a giant 36,” he said.
But unity, he stressed, must be rooted in fairness.
“Proportional representation is what put all of us there. You can’t ignore that.”
And if there’s a new political order within the opposition, Mahipaul is signaling that APNU won’t quietly accept a subordinate role.
“We will represent,” he said. “Exactly how we have to.”
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