Latest update April 28th, 2026 12:30 AM
The respective practices of the PPP and PNCR are reflected by their presidential nominees
Dear Editor,
On Monday 4th April 2011 the PPP finally announced that its 15-man executive committee had selected Mr. Donald Ramotar as the party’s presidential nominee after the other five contenders had withdrawn from contention and had supported Mr. Ramotar as the consensus candidate.
On Saturday 8th April the PPP executive committee hosted an Essequibo County Conference to present Mr. Ramotar to the party’s membership. The exco will also do the same in Demerara and Berbice.
This is the epitome of the PPP’s democratic centralism. The handful of PPP leaders decide what is best for the membership and impose their decisions on party members. This is communism in action. It is very similar to fascism. It is PPP dictatorship over its members.
Such dictatorial and fascist practices are carried over to the government. It is the nature of the PPP. As I have written before, the PPP is like spoilt milk. In the PPP the cream does not rise to the top.
In 1962 the Jagans rigged the PPP elections to deny Balram Singh Rai the chairmanship of the party. In 1997 the PPP leaders resorted to subterfuge to exclude Moses Nagamootoo and impose Bharrat Jagdeo on the PPP membership and Guyana.
It proved to be the worst man-made disaster to visit Guyana. In 2011 Jagdeo and Ramotar have sidelined Navin Chandarpal, Moses
Nagamootoo, and Ralph Ramkarran. Not that I have much respect for Ramkarran. I previously wrote that Ramakarran was Janet Jagan’s hatchet man and that the democratic centralism which he subscribed to would kill his presidential ambitions.
The continued practice of communist tenets in the PPP does not augur well for the future of Indo Guyanese. Indians must ask themselves how come the PPP does not attract the cream of the Indian society, and therefore never nominates the best person for the presidency. Are we going to be represented by mediocrity all the time? Why can’t our leaders be of the same calibre as Sattaur Gafoor, Toolsie Persaud, Professor Clem Seecharran, Sir Shridat Ramphal, Lionel Luckhoo, and Maj Gen Joe Singh?
The PPP loves to remind us of the “28 years of PNC dictatorship,” but at least the PNC has begun the process of democratizing itself, and Afro Guyanese get to elect their leaders from the cream of their society. The democratic process employed by the PNC was in total contrast to that of the PPP. The PNC’s presidential hopefuls were presented to that party’s membership. PNC members were free to question their prospective candidates. The party groups sent delegates to a special congress. Free and fair election by secret ballot was held, and the best candidate was elected by the party membership.
The respective practices of the PPP and PNC are reflected by their presidential nominees. The PPP’s communist democratic centralism has resulted in a candidate who pales in comparison to that of the PNC. The PNC’s David Granger is an outstanding history scholar, intellectual, university lecturer, and an internationally recognised security expert. David Granger has received many accolades in academia. In addition he is a distinguished military leader who served our army and nation for over 30 years. In the PNC the cream rose to the top.
I am pretty sure that, as was the case with Bharrat Jagdeo, the PPP’s Donald Ramotar will not engage his opponent in a nationally televised debate. I urge Indo Guyanese not to vote race, but rather to choose the best qualified candidate.
Malcolm Harripaul
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