A doctored version of Janet Jagan’s candidacy…’97

Oct 02, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
This is a matter for the historical records of the PPP and Guyana, that the truth be verified, researched and recorded for posterity. Historians have stated that history is not written in years but decades!
After reading Ralph Ramkarran’s carefully constructed missive on the Janet Jagan emergence as the PPP/C Presidential Candidate in 1997 it had become imperative that I now re-enter the political debate in Guyana, since 2000, when I reluctantly migrated to the USA and discontinued making any public statements on events in Guyana..
Other interpretations/versions were related to me at the time these issues were being played out, that I feel compelled to state my understanding on the relevant issues at the time, namely 1997, as they were related to me, by senior functionaries in both Party and Government.
In 1997 was Janet the compromise Candidate?
Definitely no! She swept all heads before her. Without the restraining hand of Cheddi Jagan she just derailed all semblance of discussions/intent within the PPP and usurped all/anything she wanted.
Beginning in October, 1992 when Cheddi Jagan wanted to name her to his cabinet, she refused and asked to be named to The Guyana Representative Team to the UN…the world stage. I always suspected that Janet Jagan despised having to exist under her Indian-born Guyanese husband, after whom she never learned to speak, like a Guyanese— accent —.in spite of over 60 years of living among the Guyanese people, the despise with which she held the Guyanese people.
Refer to Clem Seecharran’s recent publication,”Sweetening Bitter Sugar:” in which he questions several of Cheddi Jagan’s accounts (The West on Trial) of the history of Bookers’ Sugar in British Guiana.
Also, refer to Stephen Rabe’s account in his book, “Imperialist Destablisation of British Guiana 1962-1964” as to questions pertaining to Janet Jagan’s private life, as observed by the British Colonial masters and others, both within and without the PPP.
After Cheddi departed, rather prematurely, in 1997, Janet Jagan went off to Mystique Island to recuperate (sic). During this period the PPP Exco went into discussion to start the selection process for a Prime Ministerial Candidate to replace Sam Hinds, who had inherited the Presidency, constitutionally.
The Exco finally decided on the person of Reepu Daman Persaud, as reward and a final accolade for his contribution to the struggle, as he was becoming very sick, which was evident from all appearances.
Upon hearing this from her spies within the Exco, she hurriedly arrived at Freedom House, in time for the next scheduled meeting of the Exco, whereupon, which she promptly announced that she was taking the position! As the saying goes in cricketing parlance, when a gifted batsman hits a perfect shot to the boundary, not a man moved, or raised a word!
Janet Jagan became PM and the country drifted into the Presidential Campaign period without the PPP starting to address the issue of its Presidential Candidate.
At the beginning of this phase, Janet Jagan stated for all the Exco to hear, that she was not interested in the position, that the Exco must pursue the issue and resolve to come to a position early, as elections were imminent.
This process started and there were several candidates including Roger Luncheon, Moses Nagamootoo and Ralph Ramkarran.
It came down to a straight fight between Nagamootoo and Ramkarran with Ralph winning out in the end. At this point the Exco called on Ralph to satisfy them on two conditionalities:-
a) Full Commitment: As it was felt that Ralph, the candidate, had no parliamentary experience. He had two sons at UG at the time and for financial reasons, claimed that he could not commit on this count.
b) Full disclosure: vis-a-vis his financial records at that time to prevent any, if at all, embarrassing disclosure after being announced as the candidate. At the time Ralph was also the Legal Representative of some Malaysian forest interest in Guyana and which business he had taken to the Exco to be sanctioned.
Again, he refused to give any disclosure on his personal, professional businesses, after which point his fellow Exco members began to question their choice of candidate, in an acrimonious manner.
At this juncture in stepped Janet Jagan, announcing (she always had the door ajar on the discussions):-
1) “You can’t agree on a candidate and elections are around the corner, I am taking the position”.
And in her next sentence she said:-
2) “And by the way I have already spoken to Sam Hinds and he has agreed to run as my Prime Ministerial Candidate.”
At one fell swoop both top positions were gone and not a soul demurred! Nor to this date!
Then she observed that this composition did no cater for the core support base of the PPP and that needed to be reflected in the Top three on the slate to be presented to the CC. She called for a young Indian to be placed on the slate.
Those of us in the PPP who had studied the constitution of the PPP also knew that there was absolutely no commitment to the civic on a continuation of them holding the prime ministerial position also.
At this juncture the Executive Members, not suspecting the Machiavellian scheme of the Czarina, decided, unsuspectingly, to nominate a non-contender for power, Bharrat Jagdeo, as the third candidate, while holding on to each other, like a barrel of crabs. They all felt that this was a Janet thing and they would have time to emerge later.
This is how Bharrat Jagdeo’s name entered the equation…and as we say, “the rest is now history”.
To Ralph’s credit, though, it must be stated that he immediately pleaded with Janet Jagan not to do this to the PPP, Cheddi, herself, her children and grandchildren, the Guyanese people and history as she did not have the health to stay the rigours of the demanding job as President. But the woman was seeing beyond them all. Her grand scheme was to pave the way for her son Joey Jagan to succeed her as President. that is another story.
Ralph’s pleadings with Janet were to prove very prophetic, as we all know how badly the situation deteriorated under her in the Presidency.
There is also more to the above episode as it relates to who were negotiating with whom behind whose back simultaneously. These are a matter of public records as I related them across the country during the 1997 General Elections Campaign. It is not Freddie Kissoon who started to relate {this episode} to the Guyanese public.
It’s over to the active participants in the process (the then Exco members), to finally place on record the truth and absolute whole truth of these sordid events.
I shall be back with more! The Janet Jagan declaration at the Kitty mass Rally to announce this triumvirate to the Guyanese people and much, much more.
Lionel Peters

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