Former President Bharrat Jagdeo reportedly received resounding support from within the People’s Progressive Party to be Opposition Leader over immediate former President and the PPP’s last Presidential Candidate, Donald Ramotar.
Writing in his weekly “Conversation Tree blog former PPP Executive member, Ralph Ramkarran said that in the contest between Jagdeo and PPP’s Presidential Candidate Donald Ramotar at the Central Committee, Ramotar received only nine votes of 35 voting members. Ramkarran believes the move by the PPP will result in it remaining in Opposition for years to come.
“The PPP has been shattered by defeat, its leadership disgraced by corruption and it has lost the sympathy of the international community through abuse, corruption and the refusal to hold local government elections,” Ramkaran said as he made out his case of how the PPP has lost support during the Presidency of Jagdeo and Ramotar leading to its defeat at the May 11 polls after 23 years in government.
Ramkarran, who also served as Speaker of the National Assembly under the PPP government, explained that Jagdeo’s name emerged initially from among the ruling clique in the Executive Committee and reasoned that it must have been a hugely embarrassing and a bitter pill for Ramotar to swallow, especially since he is the immediate past president.
But despite the empathy expressed by Ramkarran, he believes that Ramotar has no one but himself to blame for his loss of influence in the Central Committee since he long ago ceded authority to Jagdeo.
“Ramotar may accept the humiliation of rejection and soldier on with diminished influence, likely without a Parliamentary seat, as he would have to bear the embarrassment of an immediate past president sitting at third place behind Jagdeo and Rohee.”
In his early fifties, Jagdeo is now poised to retain his hold on the leadership of the PPP and according to Ramkarran this could last for the next 20 years.
He explained that Jagdeo’s “continued grip on power and greed for the limelight” will smother younger leaders and denude the PPP of talent, leaving it with sycophants and as an ineffective opposition force.
“By electing Dr. Jagdeo, the Central Committee seems prepared to abide by his methods of abuse, control and sycophancy. He sees himself as the most gifted and charismatic intellect and strategist who will save the PPP and Guyana,” headed.
Ramkarran warned of attempts by Jagdeo to try to convince supporters that the PPP were robbed thereby perpetuating a sense of victimhood.
He believes the PPP should consider power sharing and argues that the most egregious blunder in its entire history was failing to implement Cheddi Jagan’s ‘shared governance’ or ‘winner does not take all’ policies.
The PPP is yet to name its candidates to serve as Members of Parliament but it is widely believed that Jagdeo will return to the Parliament and serve as Opposition Leader.
Former President Jagdeo is constitutionally barred from running for office again as President.
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