Least it go unremembered….and just for the record

Jul 08, 2018 News

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It had to happen…all that is embroiling the PPP upper echelons today! This imminent implosion will occur with every non-evolving “communistic” movement, especially made up of so many leaders who are simply seekers of power for power sake.
Prior to my expulsion on Black Friday 13th February, 2004 and whilst a leading member of the PPP, I had warned that there must be a widening and deepening of the People’s Progressive Party’s internal democracy.
This was one of my biggest fights inside that Party, apart from my anti-corruption crusade, I had commenced with support from that famous (or for some, notorious) Section K Campbellville Group. A huge negative was the response.
And it came from all quarters, some of which I least expected, including from the Bel Air Group and Ralph Ramkarran.
I had gotten the feeling that after successfully leading the charge to remove the hard core ideological posturings of the PYO, the Party’s youth section, in 1994, when myself and quality players like Rohan Singh, Gerhard Ramsaroop, Lionel Peters, Frank Anthony, Sadie Amin and others managed to delete communism and similar “isms” from the PYO’s constitution, that transformation and perestroika were in the air in the PPP too. How mistaken I was.
Of course, my attempts to follow through with this expansion of democracy in the parent body, that is, in the PPP, was just being principled and consistent. But my Section K team and I made up of a number of sound, intelligent patriots, were badly battered when we sought to address a number of concerns at the Port Mourant Congress in July 2002.
The following were the Proposals for amendments to the Party’s constitution put to that 2002 Congress. History will record that the Executive, made up then of substantially those big ones wrestling today, did not favour a secret ballot to vote on these proposals at the Congress floor, nor did they favour any of the proposals.
The debate though rightfully instructed to be done Parliamentary style, had an ulterior purpose behind it. Jagdeo, then President, wanted to see who and who will support these proposals so he would have dealt with those persons later. That had the inevitable effect. A number who had earlier argued that these proposals were very relevant and necessary did a somersault, a volte fas, when they heard it was not going to be by secret ballot. So it was left on myself and a few brave souls to speak in support. Oh how the world turns!
I must tell you that the following is an abridged version of the Proposals and their respective Rationale. They do bring back some cherished memories. And to a certain extent, I feel vindicated and absolved. I do hope that those who supported these Proposals then, but were silenced by the Bully, will find courage to revisit each one of them, especially in view that the Bully now has become, effectively, a private citizen.
“The Section K Campbellville PPP
Group’s Proposals”

1. GEOGRAPHIC
REPRESENTATION BY A PROCESS OF DIRECT ELECTION

The Section K Campbellville Group notes that the Central Committee is dominated by some 75% of its members who are residing in Georgetown or its immediate environs and purportedly representing the interest of people in outlying areas. A disproportionately low number of Central Committee (CC) members come from these outlying areas primarily Berbice and Essequibo. It is felt that there must be a built-in minimum membership to the CC from such places as Berbice and Essequibo, where the Party has always secured the majority of its membership from, and support at National and Regional Elections. To meet this defect, the following is proposed.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 8

“1. (a) The Central Committee shall comprise of 35 (thirty five) elected members of which a minimum of 5 must be residents of Berbice and a minimum of 5 must be residents of Essequibo.”

Opponents of this proposal will be quick to assert that it will be difficult to effectuate at voting time in Congress. This is not so because nominees will be placed in County Blocks on the Ballot e.g. the Berbicians who are nominated will be placed alphabetically in the Berbice Block. Assuming there are 12 nominees, the 5 with the highest votes will be duly elected to the CC. Similarly, the top 5 from Essequibo and then the top 25 from Demerara, subject to what will follow under the head “Gender Equity”.

2. GENDER EQUITY

Parallel to the above proposal for geographic representation is gender representation at the CC. It is very obvious that the CC is dominated by males. A sort of affirmative action to input females into the CC is very necessary. This will be consistent with the national requirements at the nomination stage for Parliament.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 8

“1. (b) That the Central Committee final nomination list must as far as possible reflect a gender representation that satisfies a one-third female representation thereof.”

3. ELECTION OF PARTY LEADER/PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, CHAIRMAN, GENERAL SECRETARY AND THE EXECUTIVE

These positions in a broad-based party as the PPP are exceedingly important and because of this importance, the process through which these offices are to be filled must be as democratic as possible. There can be no better arrangement to ensure this kind of democracy than an election directly by the membership represented at a Congress on a popular vote.
As regards the Party Leader position, this will go automatically to the President. This is in keeping with the practice all over the world. Where, however, there is a national election coming up, this position must be vied for at a Congress by candidates showing an interest to run as the Party’s Presidential Candidate unless no other contestant wishes to compete against the existing incumbent Candidate. This allows, moreover, for a democratic election for our Party’s Presidential Candidate. We must never suffer from the “Pa say Ma, Ma say Ba” syndrome ever again!

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 9

“1 The Executive Committee shall consist of the Leader, Chairman and General Secretary each of whom must be elected by popular vote at Congress along with 12 additional CC members who obtained the highest number of votes at Congress”.

4. OUTDATED AND REDUNDANT
TERMINOLOGY

There is a need to clean up from our Constitution outdated and redundant terminologies.
The process had started at the Congress held at Empire Cinema in 1992. The Party must go further and delete hardcore communist/socialist rhetoric, which bear no relevance nor applicability today some 14 years after the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT

A. Wheresoever the terms “Socialist/Socialism” are used in the Constitution, that same be deleted and be replaced with “national democratic”.
B. Wheresoever the terms “Marxism Leninism” is used in the Constitution that same be deleted and be replaced with “constitutional and nationalist democratic principles”.
C. Wheresoever the terms “democratic centralism” is used in the Constitution that same be deleted and be replaced with “transparency, accountability, equality and the rule of law”.
The Section K Campbellville group is of the view that these proposed amendments will only strengthen the PPP and broaden its democratic outlook and approach.
The Group also does not believe, as was said by some Executive members who view these proposals disfavourably, that these proposed amendments will create divisions, incohesiveness and internal indiscipline.
As a matter of fact, the Group feels that such ludicrous inferences and speculations are emanating from selfish perspectives.
Further, the Group feels that other concerns raised, for example, the conduct and campaigning of elections for Leader/Presidential Candidate, Chairman and General Secretary, can easily be worked out by the adoption of certain guidelines or a code of conduct. Autocracy must be halted; democracy heralded.

Khemraj Ramjattan.
AFC Chairman

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