The opposition People’s Progressive Party has finalized and released its list of parliamentary representatives and the list does not include former President and the PPP’s Presidential Candidate at the May 11 elections, Donald Ramotar.

The party made no mention of Ramotar in its release late Tuesday. However,  former President Bharrat Jagdeo, who has been tipped to be opposition leader has been named.

The PPP’s Prime Ministerial Candidate at the last elections is also absent from the list. Ms. Elisabeth Harper indicated last week to the PPP that she is not interested in serving with the party in the National Assembly.

The PPP said a number of factors were considered such as experience, youth, gender, ethnic composition and geographic-spread in selecting its parliamentarians.

Absent also from the list are several former senior Ministers, including Carolyn Rodgriges Birkett and Dr. Ashni Singh who the party claims will be unavailable to serve at this level over the next five years.

There was also no mention of Former Minster Robert Persaud who is rumored to have severed ties with the PPP.

The party claims that its decision of the Opposition Leader has been fully endorsed by the Party’s Central Committee and full disclosure in respect of those parliamentarians who will fill the position of Leader of the Opposition and Chief Whip will take place at the swearing-in of the 32 PPP Members of Parliament.

The PPP says its list “represents a list of persons who have the capabilities of representing all Guyanese more particularly, the over 200,000 persons who voted for the Party. A number of new faces are expected to be heading for the National Assembly with a good blend of youth and experienced Parliamentarians.”

However, the Party has not made a decision regarding when these Members of Parliament will take up their seats in Parliament and says consultations are still ongoing.

Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett has said “I have decided to do some work overseas that will take me out of Guyana for extended periods and which will not allow me to do the required work of a Member of Parliament at this time. My new engagement doesn’t take away from my commitment to the Party.’’

Dr. Ashni Singh in his statement of support said ‘’…I wish to thank the leadership of the PPP/C for inviting me to take up a seat among its 32 Members of Parliament, and for accommodating my reasons for declining that offer. As I explained, my personal and other commitments would make it difficult for me to discharge the obligations of a PPP/C MP in the manner I would like to at the current time. I remain firmly committed to the PPP/C, and I continue to be available to be of service to the Party in other capacities’’.

Surprisingly, former Minister Jennifer Westford who is currently embroiled in an alleged government vehicle transfer scam is on the list of the PPP. 

The PPP has also included Dr. Bheri Ramsarran who was forced to resign as a Government Minister in the run up to the last elections, after he threatened to slap a women’s rights activist.

And former APNU Member of Parliament, Africo Selman, has also been included on the PPP’s list.  

The full list is as follows:

GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCY

NATIONAL TOP UP

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