Donald Ramotar: A short biography

May 07, 2013 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

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I mean no insult but I never thought that Donald Ramotar would have been the President of this country. I knew Ramotar a long time ago but not in a very close way at all. As I wrote before, I never thought Ramotar was of admirable political material though as a person he was sociable and likeable.
I believe he still is. I believe he is still one of the less arrogant persons in politics (he is not arrogant at all) and one of the PPP leaders not infatuated with the company of the rich as Bharrat Jagdeo is.
Ramotar as a political animal is another kettle of fish. He is not a politician with leadership qualities. He never has such abilities. He never made himself a name in politics. He started out his political career as a counter-clerk in the PPP business company, GIMPEX, on Regent Street then graduated into the GAWU leadership.
It was during this time that he emerged as someone keen on Marxism-Leninism but still he showed no outstanding ability in the PPP to be identified for party elevation.
The PPP thought it could do without his input during the days of PNC authoritarianism so it sent him away to Czechoslovakia for eight years to sit on the editorial board of the journal of the world communist movement titled World Marxist Review.
On his return to Guyana, he still maintained a low profile. By this time (late eighties, early nineties), the people right up next to Cheddi and Janet Jagan were Navin Chandarpal and his wife, Indra, Gail Teixeira, Feroze Mohamed, Clement Rohee, Roger Luncheon, Ralph Ramkarran, Harry Persaud Nokta, Fazil Ally and Michael Shree Chand. Reepu Daman Persaud never sought a high profile, although Jagan made sure, because of his Hindu niche that he was always at the top of the pyramid. Ramotar was always there but never occupying a position of authority and influence in the party.
After power was achieved in 1992, it is doubtful that some figures would have accepted not being in the Cabinet. They were too strong in the leadership for the two Jagans to overlook. It was no accident that Ramotar was not put in the Cabinet. When Cheddi Jagan died, it was doubtful that Rohee and others would have accepted the job to run Freedom House. There would have been a rebellion. Ramotar as the traditional self-erasing figure was chosen.
Let us digress for a moment and return to that party meeting in Cove and John two weeks ago (see my last Friday column – “Incident at Cove and John.”) A statement was made from the floor that party members do not receive a respectful hearing when they journey to Freedom House and the speaker claimed this has been going on for years.
One of the co-chairmen of the meeting agreed that this was so, told the gathering that things have not been right at Freedom House for a long time, and plans are in motion to set things right. Then came a shocker. Another person got up and said that if things were not right for a long time now at Freedom House, how come the man that was in charge of Freedom House was made the President. There was an eerie silence that enveloped the room.
Ramotar’s years as general-secretary has been completely overshadowed by the authoritarian style of Jagdeo. This columnist has received countless complaints from people throughout Guyana that Ramotar never acted on their grievances when they went to him. This writer knows of several incidents where Ramotar showed immense incompetence as the general-secretary of the PPP.
His self-erasing style paid off for him. If Jagdeo was to maintain his hegemony over party and government his only choice was Ramotar. None of the other contenders, including Robert Persaud, would have been favoured by Jagdeo, Jagdeo knew that there was no way he could have walked into OP and run the government of Ralph Ramkarran or Gail Teixeira. When it came to Rohee, as President, Rohee would have personally ordered Jagdeo out his office if he stepped out of line.
As President, Ramotar has started out on the wrong footing. He drifts from one faux pas to another. He said that the election was marred by opposition skullduggery even though his party won the plurality. He supported the claims of a nasty racist editorial in the Chronicle. He supported Jagdeo’s accusation that there are rising anti-Indian sentiments.    He told the judiciary that it gives decisions against the State because it wants to be seen as independent. He called in stakeholders including the opposition to discuss the 2013 budget after it was laid in Parliament. He endorsed the radio licence abomination of Jagdeo. He retains Kwame Mc Coy.
The one I like was when he told a Reuter’s reporter that I was a sick man, that I need a doctor, Donald!

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