THE PPP IS TAKING CONTROL OF THE GOVERNMENT

Nov 03, 2012 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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The recent demonstration outside of the High Court by a group of PPP supporters is indicative that the ruling party may be undergoing a process of change. Interestingly, this change is emerging from the actions of the old guard of the party and this fact may be related to a subtle form of distancing from the Jagdeo style of doing things.
It is now well established that there was tension at best and problems at the worse between the past government and the ruling party. This troubled relationship overflowed into an ugly incident in which one of the founder members of the PPP and someone long regarded as having tremendous influence on the direction of the party, Mrs. Janet Jagan, was referred to as a private citizen.
There is proof enough that the then government had begun to impose its will on the party at the expense of the old guard of the party.
There was also another significant development within the PPP. It had to do with the fact that the bourgeoisie class had begun to gain a foothold within the government and used this as a basis to also influence the direction of the party.
This influence had begun since 1992 but reached its nadir by the time the 2011 elections came around. While this was happening, the third development became pronounced.
A number of activists who spoke out against what they saw were wrongs being done by the government were either expelled or marginalized from the party. The most shocking development of all was when one man walked out of a meeting in frustration, mumbling, “Ah done with y’all” and this was shamelessly accepted as a resignation.
Concurrent with this was the emergence of individuals with no record of involvement in the historic struggles of the PPP being parachuted into important positions in the government and party. They virtually dropped out of nowhere into positions of high power.
Also, in some of the regions where the party traditionally enjoyed unassailable support, power was placed in the hands of persons who also did not have the grassroots appeal, the right attitude or the historic involvement with the party as some of the traditional leaders.
All of this is now being reversed. Under Donald Ramotar we are seeing that the older members of the party, who are likely to be loyal to the President, are being slowly returned to the government. In fact, immediately upon assuming office, Navin Chandarpal was returned to his position within the administration.
He had a public tiff with the former President and his return to the government was an early sign that the old heads were once again regaining control of both the party and the government.
Other party faithfuls have been given important postings within the government. In fact the elevation of two party stalwarts as ministers in the Donald Ramotar administration signals that the party wants to ensure that never again will it be marginalized by the government.
This process of consolidation of the party within the government will take time but it is now inevitable that both the government and the party are assuming a new shape and that shape is one that will be favourable to Donald Ramotar.
Three prominent individuals now virtually control the reins of government and they will most likely put in place an unbreakable firewall that will be impenetrable by those who had previously dominated the government. We are effectively witnessing the end of the Jagdeo era.
This present period, therefore, is not a period of settling-in for the Donald Ramotar administration. It is a period of reshaping the influences within the party and of bringing the party and the government closer together.
The implications of all this will be a sidelining of the class relationship between the ruling political elite and the dominant oligarchic class. It is noteworthy that ever since he assumed office less than one year ago, Donald Ramotar has not been as close to the dominant economic class as the previous government was. In fact he has kept a cautious distance, sufficient to not make this class feel nervous but far enough to limit the reach and influence over the work of government.
Of importance also is that the party is now displaying greater militancy. Not only were many ministers in the courtroom giving support to the Minister of Home Affairs during the recent Commission of Inquiry but the party had a small but highly visible presence outside of the courtroom.
This is something that would have been unheard of in the past and shows that it is not just the government which is mobilizing but that the party, even in Georgetown where its support is very limited, is coming out and showing that it is ready to rumble.

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