The “Ramjattan ticket” and the political conversation

Sep 19, 2014 Letters

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Dear Editor,
The recent announcement by AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan that a Nagamootoo/Hughes ticket would be the best combination for the AFC to contest the next general elections has drawn both the pleasure and ire of some.
While these commentators and critics chose to make the candidates and the ticket the focus of their discussion, I wish to channel my observation on the timing and political relevance of the Ramjattan announcement. So, for starters, I consider the announcement to be premature and lacking in political relevance.
My first observation would be to point out that the AFC leader has done his membership an injustice by slighting them with his apparent public directive which is probably intended to influence the outcome of the upcoming AFC conference. In my mind, this kind of tactic is a hindrance to internal party democracy and brings into focus the whole question of respect for the membership. However, I must admit that Mr. Nagamootoo’s reaction to the “Ramjattan announcement indicates that he recognizes that the views of the AFC membership, regarding any ticket, must be the deciding voice to be respected. According to Nagamootoo, the members of the AFC should make their choice at the party’s upcoming conference.
The more important point as it relates to timing of the Ramjattan announcement, is that Ramjattan’s comments provided a good escape route for the PPP. So, at a time when the entire political conversation was not in the PPP’s interest, Ramjattan provided a perfect “bumper ball,” which landed where the PPP wanted.
At a time when the national political discussion is centered on the whole idea of parties and organizations forming a coalition to contest the next election, the Ramjattan ticket emerged. Prior to this announcement, the PPP was forced to rethink their propaganda strategy in order to resurrect a political conversation which it thinks will be in its favour. The government was so out of its game that it attempted to tout its apparent new found interest in a coalition, and rushed to promote its own concocted idea of forming alliances with others. This is typical PPP reaction to a situation when its back is against the wall.
The party tries every effort to find “wriggle room” in order to breathe. Once that breathing space is had, it is back to the norms of the PPP, the issue of any alliance is abandon and the dictatorial attitude resurfaces with a renewed and intensified vengeance.
Prior to the Ramjattan conversation, there was a larger conversation which seemed to have united a majority of Guyanese, both home and abroad. That discussion was centered on the idea of a coalition of the opposition forces, to contest the next national elections.
The larger conversation regarding some possibility of the AFC and other organizations teaming up with the APNU is a conversation that really, knocked the wind out of the sail of the PPP. However, the Ramjattan announcement has done exactly what I anticipated. It sought to revert the political conversation to a point where the PPP now thinks it can breathe in order to fashion and promote its campaign of mud-slinging and name calling
I continue to watch the PPP’s reaction to the Ramjattan announcement and wonder when will this archaic political strategy ends. About two days after “the Ramjattan ticket” was revealed, Clement Rohee the General Secretary of the PPP boasted in delight that his party will, according to him, “expose Nagamootoo”.
So, in their thinking they will be bringing lots of “dutty linens” out of Nagamootoo’s closet. The PPP believes that this is its best approach to energize its base. My thinking is that they are in hot pursuit to dig up, create and propagate the usual lines which they think will resonate with their base. In 2011 we have seen the desperate attempt by Freedom House to assassinate David Granger’s character and project him as anti-Indo Guyanese, the results of that election showed that the Indo-Guyanese community rejected this ignorance. So today, the strategy is very much the same. The PPP will pit Nagamootoo against Cheddi and Janet Jagan in the most dangerous fashion.
As the PPP unleashes its attack it will be analyzing the effectiveness of its strategy to determine how successful it is in changing the political conversation. This change is necessary to ensure that the “campaign of distraction” is solidly in place in order to attempt to hoodwink the people and turn their attention away from what really matters to them and the country. In the minds of those who operate at Freedom House, Ramjattan’s announcement is already helping them to launch their attack.
They watch as the supporters and non-supporters of “the ticket” do battle in the local newspapers and social media as they defend or dismiss “the Ramjattan ticket”.  I watch as many local scholars, intellectuals and political commentators are caught up in this big distraction. Are they naïve to the obvious fact, or is it in their interest to do exactly what they are doing?
Do these people really want to ensure that good governance return to Guyana or are they so caught up in their own desire to demonstrate brilliance that they can care less how their own action may be aiding and abetting the perpetuation of a tyrannical regime in Guyana?
It is unfortunate that a supposedly prudent politician like Ramjattan could not have anticipated that his announcement would create this kind of diversion, or serve as a major political tool for the PPP, for which that party will want to use to fan its flame of distraction. Or, on the contrary, did Mr. Ramjattan believe it would have been in the interest of the AFC to shut down the talks of coalition? Was the “Ramjattan announcement” therefore a political strategy contemplated and designed to change the conversation on coalition? Clearly, the coalition conversation is energizing the Guyanese people, both home and abroad.
If Ramjattan was indeed trying to shut down the coalition conversation he must know that Moses Nagamootoo has certainly advanced it when he stated, on his social media post, that he Moses Nagamootoo “is excited about a rainbow coalition”. I would not want to put words in the mouth of Mr. Nagamootoo, whom I respect, but I know that a rainbow has many colours and obviously, the AFC is only one colour, a colour that is not currently a part of that rainbow coalition forged by the PNC. So, is Moses Nagamootoo interested in building his own rainbow coalition or will he pilot the AFC to add its hue to the APNU rainbow.
I believe should the AFC do the latter it will not only garner more public support but it will also let the PPP know that it is serious about replacing the most dictatorial and tyrannical regime Guyanese have ever seen. This is time for bold, courageous, and sober leadership.  The nation’s interest must be paramount. Let’s keep the political conversation relevant.
Lurlene Nestor

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