PPP IN DEATH THROES, JAGDEO RETURN TO PERFORM FINAL RITES

Jul 12, 2015 News

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BY Ralph Seeram

I was saying the man’s ego was bigger than his mansion, when another passenger in the car chimed in, that his ego was bigger than Guyana. The man has no shame; some would argue that Bharrat Jagdeo has passed that stage a very long time ago.
Long before, he brazenly and “barefacedly” gave away free radio licenses to his friends, family and cronies before leaving office in 2011.
By now most of you know that Jagdeo is returning to lead the PPP in Parliament as Opposition Leader.
Apparently the PPP did not get the Memo the voters sent in 2011 and again last May 11. Their supporters either stayed away from the polls or switched to the AFC.
Bharrat Jagdeo is toxic; Bharrat Jagdeo cannot win elections, as evident in 2011 and this year. When people see Jagdeo, memories of PPP corruption comes forth. Some would say that he is the face of corruption in the PPP.
Visions of “backroom and secret” deals come to mind, the Hydro Project, the Airport Project, Marriott Hotel financing, and let’s not forget the single source supply of medicines from his friend, Bobby Ramroop.
Yes, even the PPP Central Committee did not get the Memo that Jagdeo is a “has been”, the electorate does not want him, and I am talking about the Guyanese electorate, not PPP supporters.
The argument is that Jagdeo can bring out votes; that he has grass roots support. I have had very senior PPP leaders telling me this in the lead up to the last elections, and my answer was, getting out PPP votes is not your problem, they are your supporters, you need the voter that will put you over the 50 per cent mark; you need the “swing voters” and the votes of your “former’ supporters who are disappointed with the direction the party has taken.
One would have thought that after two successive electoral defeats, the PPP would analyze its failure and regroup.
We are all familiar with the old saying ‘you can’t do the same thing over and over and expect a different result.’ Did the PPP get that Memo and choose to ignore it again.’
Some people would argue that Jagdeo has single handed destroyed the PPP, destroyed the ideals of the PPP founder, Dr. Cheddi Jagan.
Old PPP stalwarts have been gradually pushed aside to make way for Jagdeo and his handpicked subordinates. We know what happened in those years leading to the PPP defeat.
Here, what is ironic; at the height of Bharrat Jagdeo power, Kemraj Ramjattan and Moses Nagamootoo were forced out of the PPP. No one could have foreseen at that time, that it signaled the unraveling of the PPP. No one could have forecast that those two would ultimately lead to the defeat of the PPP in two elections.
Karma is a bitch. Today, Nagamootoo sits in the Prime Minister’s bench in Parliament and Jagdeo will be sitting in the Opposition Leader’s seat.
One wonders if Jagdeo has the PPP interest at heart or his personal interest. In my opinion, if he had the PPP interest at heart, if he wanted to see the PPP “bounce back” from two electoral defeats, he should have graciously stuck to his pledge and step aside.
After being President for twelve years, and making public pronouncements that he would not seek public office again, you wonder why Jagdeo would humiliate himself to sit opposite Ramjattan and Nagamootoo in Parliament, with the latter two in power now.
It comes back to Jagdeo’s ego. Many of you have seen so many boxers who after their prime, either come out of retirement, or hang on for one more fight only to get humiliated by younger stronger opponent. They did not come back for the money, but for the crowd cheering them, the adulations, the publicity, the celebrity status. They missed that.
Power is like sex; you get a few orgasms you want more. Some orgasms come from humiliation; some people have to get a form of humiliation like bondage to satisfy themselves.
Jagdeo does not care if he is humiliated, his appetite for power, his craving for one more “orgasm” takes over his rational thinking. Sex does that to you, power does that to you.
What bothers me is, if Jagdeo’s ego took over his rational thinking, what happened to those in the PPP Central Committee?
Here was the PPP’s chance to rebrand itself, to cleanse itself of the “undesirables”, inject new blood in leadership, to burnish its image for local government elections and for 2020 general elections.
Instead, it brought back people like Ganga Persaud, Bheri Ramsaran and Lumumba. Yes they really are going to win the party votes.
Most blatantly they put Jagdeo back as leader or as some would say Jagdeo put himself back as leader. Whichever is true, it signals that the Coalition can retain power come next elections, unless of course the APNU/AFC merger implodes or the two parties end up doing the same practices of the PPP.
I can understand when the PPP was in power, there was some stranglehold on members to go along with the leadership, or be “blacklisted” from jobs, positions, favours and other “goodies”, that can be dispensed when the party is in power.
I have had senior PPP leaders say that to criticize or even constructive criticism was not tolerated. Ralph Ramkarran is a perfect example of what I am talking. Today that is no longer the case; the PPP is not in power, no goodies” to hand out, the “gravy train” ride has ended. So what is there to be afraid of?
The problem is what Ralph Ramkarran and Moses Nagamootoo were asking for. A free democratic election by secret ballot, not “show of hands”. It is my view and the opinions of many, that the present leadership of the PPP is afraid of secret ballots. And unless the PPP democratizes itself, by holding election by secret ballot by its entire membership, the party is doomed for the future.
The young leaders in the PPP today will have to show some “balls”; they will have to stand up to the old leadership like Jagdeo if there is going to be any party for them to lead in the future. Despite his famous “phone call” Anil Nandlall might have made a better and more important creditable leader of the opposition than Jagdeo.
Yes the PPP is in a downward spiral. The members may not realize it but the party will suffer a slow but sure death under the leadership of Jagdeo. Oh, and for those die hard supporters who feel that it’s because of Jagdeo the PPP got that nearly 50 per cent of the votes, think about why you did not get the one per cent. Only one percent you needed. Guess who you think turned off that elusive one per cent, by his “cuss down” rhetoric. Yes you guessed it, you are smart, smarter than those in the PPP.
Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: [email protected] and Facebook.

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