Orpheus Descending: The story of Gail Teixeira

Feb 12, 2011 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

It must have been a surprise to every citizen in this land who follows politics to have heard that Ms. Gail Teixeira wants to become the President of Guyana. If she had no such intention, she would have refused the nomination. To date she hasn’t.
A dyed in the wool ideologue moulded by Cheddi Jagan, her status as confidential secretary for twelve years to Cheddi Jagan saw her move up the ladder of leadership. Ms. Teixeira was astute enough to become the secretary of the party leader. That position had to catapult her to the pyramid because she knew that when she returned to Guyana in the early eighties that whoever Cheddi and Janet like gets automatic promotion.
I am not terribly comforted by the fact that the PPP has now assigned Ms. Teixeira to the Council of the University where I represent the trade union on campus. The reason for my disquiet is that I cannot stand the hard-line politics of Ms. Teixeira.
It appears that the PPP was not satisfied with the expanding independence of some of its representatives at UG. It removed these so-called independents and sent in Ms. Texieira to enforce the party line among UG Councillors.
From February 1 when the new appointments were made, UG will now have seven Council Members who hold a party card and three PPP Parliamentarians
No one is seen more as a party player than Ms. Teixeira. And I doubt very much that she has and will show any developmental interest in the University except to make sure the Council of the University is kept under the PPP’s control. My experience with Ms. Teixeira has hardly been pleasant.
We sat in the Patriotic Coalition for Democracy in the late eighties (I was one of three WPA delegates) and unfortunately her inflexible attitudes caused a huge rift between us during one meeting and she reported back to the PPP. The PPP demanded my replacement. In the interest of opposition harmony, the WPA requested my cooperation. I complied.
Shortly after this, the 1992 elections came and Ms. Teixeira became a Minister. I have had no contact with her since then. I have not spoken to her since. We did meet at a forum at the Convention Centre last year where UNDP consultant, Lawrence Latchmansingh, presented his report on how the major Guyanese stakeholders view the work and nature of the Ethnic Relations Commission.
Naturally we clashed. Obviously, Ms. Teixeira was assigned to the conference to present the position of the PPP. And that is what she did. No objectivity. No attempts at reconciliation; and the usual deportment that you find from the PPP benches when Parliament is in session. Ms. Teixeira is the PPP’s faithful preserver of the faith.
She reminds me of a certain sub-culture of Italian society where there is always a faithful one that will be called upon to get the job done when the job has to be done (if you know what I mean- if you don’t then read a Mario Puzo novel)
Can Ms. Teixeira become the President of Guyana? That is impossible. To have a shot at the presidency, you have to be the presidential candidate of a party. It is impossible also for this lady to get her party’s affirmation. So why is she in the race? Because when the family wants a job done they turn to the faithful. Mr. Rohee and Ms. Teixeira are not taking chances with Ralph Ramkarran.
If there should be a groundswell for secret balloting, the hierarchy of the PPP is unsure how it will go. Ramkarran can create an upset. With Rohee and Teixeira as part of the potpouri, then the dish will be divided.
With Nagamootoo out of the race because there will be no direct voting, Ramkarran is likely to pick up two sections of the 35 member, Central Committee. The moderate faction which think that Jagan’s dreams have been trampled upon by Mr. Jagdeo and Ramkarran is the most likely to revert to the Jagan culture as president.
And secondly, there are those long-standing members who perceive Ramkarran to be a son of the PPP soil. It is from this compartment that Rohee and Teixeira hope to dent Ramkarran by stealing votes away from him leaving Ramkarran’s opponent with more delegates.
Teixeira herself hopes to take away from Ramkarran women votes that would naturally go to him if she wasn’t there. No one in Guyana really accepts believes Gail Teixeira can secure a majority of delegates at the final meeting to clinch the prize. Ms. Teixeira is definitely a character out of a Puzo novel.

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Orpheus Descending: The story of Gail Teixeira

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