The 29th Congress did choose the PPP presidential candidate

Aug 07, 2008 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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The 29th Congress of the ruling People’s Progressive Party is over and very little has changed. True, a plagiarist has been appointed to the Central Committee, and true there were some surprises when the final tally of votes came, but in the end the Central Executive remained almost the same as it was prior to the Congress, with only five new faces.

Logic would have dictated that the top eleven finishers in the elections for the Central Committee should be elevated to the Executive Committee. This is, however, not going to be. The Central Committee is not bound by such traditions.

The internal logic of the party will ensure that the old guard will once again retain control of that grouping.
It is expected that as a result of this control, a number of persons who polled below the top 11 places will make it to the Executive Committee.

It is also expected that there will be an attempt to have some regional leaders appointed to the Executive Committee.

Thus, it really does not matter how many votes the various leaders secured in the elections. The number of votes received is not an effective measure of the popularity of the various leaders since there is a great deal of lobbying that takes place. These are elections for thirty-five places of the Central Executive.

At the same time, the delegates have to ensure that the wrong signals are not sent. It would have caused waves, for example, if any other person were to emerge with more votes than the President.

This would not have been good for the image and thus the delegates would have ensured that the President got the most votes.

It would have also been incomprehensible for Mrs. Jagan not to have secured a high number of votes, since, to do otherwise, would have been an indictment against the legacy of her husband, Dr. Cheddi Jagan.

Despite this, the elections of the Central Committee did represent something of a disappointment for the President. It is clear from the number of votes that he received that a significant number of delegates did not vote for him.

Of the 913 delegates that voted, some 136 did not cast a ballot for the President. This reflects some amount of discontent.

The second disappointment was of course that of Robert Persaud who needed to be among the top five to strengthen his supporters’ demands for him to be considered the Presidential candidate for the 2011 elections.

While, as I indicated, we should not read the respective tallies received as a ranking of the leaders of the PPP, Persaud’s supporters would have been hoping for him to have come out with far more votes so as to improve his chances of winning the party’s nod.

By placing ninth, he is virtually now completely out of the running, that is unless in the interlude between now and when the party chooses its candidate, his supporters can seize control of the Executive Committee, something that is not likely, considering the possible power configuration that will emerge.

For all intents and purposes, Persaud’s candidacy is now finished. Not even Jagdeo is likely to revive the situation.

The biggest surprise is, of course, Moses Nagamootoo. His return to the Central Committee and the fact that he secured such a high number of votes shows his political pedigree.

He has proven himself at this Congress as a genuine political thoroughbred, and one who should never again be discounted by his party.

Despite being overlooked by the Jagdeo administration for a ministerial position, despite being fired by the Executive Committee, he has demonstrated his political resilience. There is no reason now why with this showing he should not make it all the way to the top.

He has always had what it took and he has proven himself as a true politician in this remarkable comeback saga.

Once Moses is part of the Central Committee and once he is interested in becoming his party’s Presidential candidate, there is no way that he can be denied.

I think even ‘The Donald’ will accept that Moses is the senior partner within the PPP and the one that is best suited to deliver Guyana out of the political and economic morass in which it has found itself under the uninspiring leadership of Bharrat Jagdeo.

Moses will lead the PPP into the next elections. His political resurrection is a sure signal as to how the membership feels.

Congratulations, Moses. You were always my first choice for the party. However, I underestimated your political survival skills.

In this Congress you have confounded your critics. The biggest loser of all in this Congress is, in my opinion, President Bharrat Jagdeo.

This was supposed to be the Congress that should have witnessed his coronation. Even though it did not reject the direction in which he has taken the country, this Congress really did not give him the personal credit that was expected.

Take a bow Jagdeo. From now on there will be others to whom your party will be looking.

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