PPP Presidential candidate race heats up

Feb 15, 2011 News

– Candidates make case; Nagamootoo stays away

The Executive Committee of the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) yesterday summoned candidates who are seeking to be the party’s presidential candidate at this year’s general elections, but outspoken member Moses Nagamootoo stayed away, charging that the process is a farce.
Contacted last evening, Nagamootoo told Kaieteur News that he had indicated in a letter to General Secretary Donald Ramotar (himself a candidate), and who was at the meeting, that he would not submit himself before the Committee because he did not want to take part in a process that is flawed.
Nagamootoo told Kaieteur News that he could withdraw from the process if his suggestions are not taken on board. He has been pressing for the broader membership of the party to be involved in the process. As far as Nagamootoo was concerned the process should not be restricted to the limited members of the Executive Committee and the Central Committee, which would ultimately make the decision.
Alternatively, Nagamootoo has been suggesting that instead of one candidate selected as presidential candidate, that the party takes to the electorate an “A-team.” If even this proposal of a composite team fails, Nagamootoo could withdraw from the process.
Sources told Kaieteur News that Speaker of the House Mr Ralph Ramkarran and Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee made presentations yesterday.
Apart from Ramotar and Nagamootoo, the other person in the race is Presidential Advisor on Governance Gail Teixeira.
The issue of selecting a presidential candidate has been a thorny one for the PPP. Apart from Nagamootoo, the most vociferous of the candidates has been Ramkarran, who has been pressing for there to be a secret ballot to select the candidate when the matter reaches the 35-member Central Committee.
The PPP General Secretary, Ramotar, has said the process for selecting the candidate has not been finalised.
President Bharrat Jagdeo is not in favour of a secret ballot, saying that this could be “dangerous as candidate hopefuls could promise persons things in order to get their votes.”
Ramkarran and other members of the Central Committee have taken offence at Jagdeo’s statement.
Using Facebook, Ramkarran asked whether he was being accused of potential dishonesty and if those on the Central Committee were being accused of being potential bribe takers.
Navin Chandarpal, who was fired by the President as Advisor on the Environment, has spoken out against the President’s comments and he got into a public tussle with the Head of State.
Chandarpal, who now serves as the Principal of the labour college set up by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and who serves on the Executive Committee was not in Guyana and therefore not at the meeting.
Komal Chand, the President of GAWU, who also sits on the Executive Committee, was not at the meeting.

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