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The PPP is not serious about being an ethnically balanced party

Apr 25, 2015 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
Over the last few days Ms. Elisabeth Harper has taken quite some flak from several speakers, writers and the public.  I am less interested in jabbing at Ms. Harper than I am in confronting the callousness of the PPP on several issues.
The ethnic makeup of Guyana does require that in order to have national appeal, a major political party must show some balance in its leadership and be willing to address the racial sensitivities that have plagued Guyana for over 50 years. However, when the PPP selected Sam Hinds and now Ms. Harper to be their Prime Ministerial candidates, they have made a complete mockery of these considerations. The people would rather have a competent Guyanese in such high position than an incompetent specimen.
After 22 years as Prime Minister and six months as President following the death of Dr. Cheddi Jagan in 1997, Sam Hinds still cannot point to a lasting legacy. He was unable or unwilling to represent the group of people whose concerns he should have championed. Instead, Mr. Hinds has proven to be one of the most malleable and most manipulated Guyanese leaders this nation has ever seen.
Now, true to form, the PPP, in order to replace Mr. Hinds, has gone for another docile and unassertive individual in one Ms. Harper. Whether they have done a poll or not, I don’t know, but my gut feeling is Ms. Harper is not there to garner votes, she is simply there for window dressing to fool the people that the PPP is an ethnically balanced party which in essence is sheer hypocrisy.
Any country that takes governance issues seriously would expect that should the President become incapacitated then the number two person should be able to replace him/her in a smooth transition to conduct the nation’s business. This is not the case in Guyana and especially not in the group-think PPPC administration. The most obvious and classic example being how quickly the PPP hierarchy replaced Mr. Hinds whose stint as President in 1997 was short lived when the Freedom gang crowned Mrs. Jagan with the presidency.
Most Guyanese believe that Mr. Ramotar knows very little and he does very little and this is why he has been dubbed the do-nothing president. Furthermore, could anyone contemplate the state the country will find itself in should an emergency arise and Ms. Harper has to take command?
I would argue that the nation would be far safer with a Granger/Nagamootoo team than a Ramotar/Harper duo. Knowing how the PPP feels about ex-military men getting into politics, I guess they are familiar with some of our expressions. I would conclude that since she is clueless, all that she is expected to do is to “fall in and cover down.”
Finally, I believe that Ms. Harper appears to be very uncomfortable while on television or at public meetings. She seems more like a hostage than a willing contender. Therefore, I appeal to the electorate to save the country the shame and to save Ms. Harper the pain and embarrassment, and vote the PPP out of office with this simple refrain, “never again”.
Aubrey Reteymer

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