Lest it goes unremembered…. and just for the record

Jan 23, 2011 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

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By Khemraj Ramjattan,
AFC Chairman

It had to happen….all that is embroiling the PPP upper echelons today. This imminent implosion will occur with every non-evolving communistic movement, especially made up of so many leaders who apparently are simply seekers of power for power sake.
Whilst a leading member, prior to my expulsion in 2004, I had warned that there must be a widening and deepening of the party’s internal democracy. This was one of my biggest fights. A huge negative was the response. And it came from all quarters, some of which I least expected.
I had gotten the feeling that after successfully leading the charge to remove the hard core ideological posturing of the PYO, the Party’s youth section, in 1994, when myself and quality players like Gerhard, Lionel, Anthony, Sadie and others managed to delete communism, that transformation was in the air. How mistaken I was.
My attempts to follow through with this at the parent body level, (i.e. in the PPP), was being principled and consistent.
But I and my team, made up of a number of sound, intelligent patriots, were badly battered when we sought to address a number of concerns at the Port Mourant Congress in July 2002.
The following were the Proposals put to the Congress. It is abridged for space. History will record that the Executive, made up of all the big ones wrestling today, did not favour a secret ballot, neither did they favour any of the proposals.
It was instructed to be done Parliamentary-style. Jagdeo wanted to see who and who will support it. I would not tell you why. Those who had argued that these proposals were very relevant and necessary did a volte-face when they heard it was not going to be by secret ballot. Oh how the world turns!
“The Section K Campbellville PPP Group’s Proposals

1. GEOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION BY A PROCESS OF DIRECT ELECTION
It noted that the Central Committee (C.C.) is dominated by sometimes 75% of its members who are residing in Georgetown or its immediate environs and purportedly representing the interest of people in outlying areas.  A disproportionately low quantity of C.C. members come from these outlying areas, primarily Berbice and Essequibo.  It is felt that there must be a built-in minimum membership to the C.C. from such places as Berbice and Essequibo, where the Party have always secured the majority of its membership and support, and also its votes at National and Regional Elections.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 8
“1. (a) The Central Committee shall comprise of 35 (thirty five) elected members of which a minimum of 5 must be residents of Berbice and a minimum of  5 must be residents of Essequibo.”
Opponents of this proposal will be quick to assert that it will be difficult to effectuate at voting time in Congress.  This is not so because nominees will be placed in County Blocks on the Ballot e.g. the Berbicians who are nominated will be placed alphabetically in the Berbice Block.  Assuming there are 12 nominees, the 5 with the highest votes will be duly elected to C.C.  Similarly, the top 5 from Essequibo and then the top 25 from Demerara, subject to what will follow under the head “Gender Equity”.
2.  GENDER EQUITY
Parallel to the above proposal for geographic representation is gender representation at the C.C.  It is very obvious that the C.C. is dominated by males.  A sort of affirmative action to input females into the C.C. is very necessary.  This will be consistent with the national requirements at the nomination stage for Parliament.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 8
“1. (b) That the Central Committee final nomination list must as far as possible reflect a gender representation that satisfies a one-third female representation thereof.”

3.   ELECTION OF PARTY LEADER/PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, CHAIRMAN, GENERAL SECRETARY AND THE EXECUTIVE
These positions in a broad-based Party as the P.P.P. are exceedingly important and because of this importance, the process through which these offices are to be filled must be as democratic as possible.  There can be no better arrangement to ensure this kind of democracy than an election directly by the membership at a Congress on a popular note.
As regards the Party Leader position, this will go automatically to the President.  This is in keeping with the practice all over the world.  Where however there is a national elections coming up, this position must be vied for at a Congress by Candidates showing an interest to run as the Party’s Presidential Candidate unless no other contestant wishes to compete against the existing incumbent Candidate.  This allows, moreover, for a democratic election of our Party’s Presidential Candidate.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 9
“1 The Executive Committee shall consist of the Leader, Chairman and General Secretary each of whom must be elected by popular vote at Congress along with 12 additional C.C. members who obtained the highest number of votes at Congress”.

4 OUTDATED AND REDUNDANT TERMINOLOGY
There is a need to clean up from our Constitution outdated and redundant terminologies.  The process had started at the Congress held at Empire Cinema in 1992. The Party must go further and delete hardcore communistic rhetoric which bear no relevance today.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT
A.    Wheresoever the terms “Socialist/Socialism” are used in the Constitution, that same be deleted and be replaced with “national  democratic”
B.    Wheresoever the terms “Marxism Leninism” is used in the Constitution that same be deleted and be replaced with “constitutional and nationalist democratic principles”.
C.     Wheresoever the terms “democratic centralism” is used in the Constitution that same be deleted and be replaced with “transparency, accountability, equality and the rule of law”.
The group is of the view that these proposed amendments will only strengthen the PPP and broaden its democratic outlook and approach. The Group also does not believe, as was said by some Executive members, that these proposed amendments will create divisions and incohesiveness and internal indiscipline.
As a matter of fact, the Group felt that such ludicrous inferences and speculations were emanating from selfish perspectives. Further, the Group feels that other concerns raised e.g. the conduct and campaigning of elections for Leader/Presidential Candidate, Chairman and General Secretary, can easily be worked out by the adoption of certain guidelines or code of conduct. “

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