Ramotar unchallenged as PPP presidential candidate

Jan 27, 2015 News

– Prime Ministerial candidate still to be decided

By Abena Rockcliffe
The incumbent People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has decided to go into the upcoming elections with

President
Donald Ramotar

Donald Ramotar as its presidential candidate.
This was confirmed yesterday by PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee when he hosted the Party’s weekly press conference at Freedom House.
Rohee told media operatives that the decision to retain Ramotar as presidential candidate was made at the PPP latest Central Executive meeting which was held last week.
According to the General Secretary, who had previously told the media that he would not refuse a nomination to be the PPP presidential candidate, Ramotar retained his position without competition.
Even though Ramotar’s record doesn’t speak well of his ability to lead PPP towards a majority government, Rohee said that he is confident of victory at the polls with Ramotar at the helm. He noted that he is confident as well that PPP will regain the majority of seats in the National Assembly.
Ramotar’s first attempt at Presidency was in 2011, the last time General Elections were held in Guyana. Ramotar now goes down in history as the one who led the PPP into having the first minority government. In fact no party has ever won General Elections in Guyana without gaining control of the majority of voting seats in the National Assembly
However, Rohee claimed yesterday that he does not believe that those facts ought to stand in the way of Ramotar leading the party again into elections.
“We are going to win the elections and we made out after the elections in 2011 what were some of the factors that were responsible for us losing the control of the parliament. We have also pointed out that we have taken corrective measures to address those issues and now I believe as the General Secretary, that we are in a much better position.”
However, the General Secretary chose not to state some of those factors that he said were responsible for the PPP’s reduced support base.
Over the past three General Elections in Guyana, the PPP has consistently and noticeably been losing votes.
Rohee danced around questions about what he thinks is responsible for the Party’s reducing support base. Instead of saying what could have been the cause, Rohee told the media that “the political fortunes for every single political party is up for grabs.”
He said that the party has not settled on a Prime Ministerial Candidate, but it is likely that the person will come from the Civic component of the PPP Civic alliance.
When asked whether the PPP will be looking to ensure it places a “star candidate” to run as the Prime Minister in order to ensure support to regain a majority in the National Assembly, Rohee would only say that his Party is “working out a total package.”
He said that the PPP is looking to get the best possible package to present to the electorate.
The General Secretary said that the Party has not written off placing a woman to be the Prime Ministerial Candidate but “so far, the only agreement is presidential candidate…we are looking at everything.”
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds has served Guyana in that position since 1992 except for a nine- month break when he became President following the death of Dr. Cheddi Jagan. Hinds now appears set to head off into retirement.
Media officials found it strange yesterday that even though Rohee announced that the PPP is in elections mood, he refused to say when the party will officially launch its political campaign.

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