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Complicit is not in Jagdeo’s and the PPP’s vocabulary.
Dear Editor,
Many are aghast at the last moment withdrawal of three candidates in the central committee of the PPP which leave Nandlall and Ali to run for the nomination. More shocking was Ali’s victory, 24 to 9 votes. This is definitely not a reflection of the party’s supporters and it calls into question the relevance and ideals of the central committee in relation to the party’s grassroots base. The general consensus among the party’s loyalists, is that the PPP lost the 2015 general election on the basis of acute corruption. While Mr. Ali has been charged but never tried in a court for corruption there is a perception that he has been complicit. While corruption had ruled the roost in the past PPP regime, former President Jagdeo became the architect of the phrase “show me the evidence” to anyone who accuses him or anyone in his Government of corruption.
The central committee should take the blame it shows that the elite (central committee) is not in touch with the people who can make or break them. The decision to rerun Ramotar in 2015 for the presidency cost the PPP to lose an estimated 10,000 votes because that number of supporters could not stand the mediocrity of Ramotar and were angry with the party leaders. It was more than the margin required to win the election. It all happened because one strong man in the central committee wanted a puppet and the remainder lacked the testicular fortitude to stop him. Now history seems to be repeating itself for the PPP, the Jagdeo stranglehold on the central committee continues.
Ramson (Jnr) or Frank Anthony would have done justice to the party and for supporters in their search for a flawless candidate, given that corruption is the most pressing national issue.
It is difficult to see Nandlall getting nine votes squaring off against Irfaan’s 23, given the public support for Nandlall. There had to be some ghost whispering taking place in the Central Committe for that to happen. The general public sees Irfaan carrying more baggage than Anil in painful ways. There is a general perception in the public domain that Irfaan was complicit in the cheap selling out of large swaths of state land to wealthy business persons under the pretext that these persons were to build homes and sell to the public. That did not happen and these persons are selling back house lots at exorbitant prices. In short, many are of the opinion that Irfaan deprived thousands of Guyanese from owning house lots in prime areas. I can picture Jagdeo screaming “where is the evidence” to the above! The word Complicit does not seem to exist in the Jagdeo’s vocabulary. The poor have no interest to prove anything to anyone, they know what they know and they will act on what they know like Charrandass when the time comes.
The diehard supporters will vote for anyone the party throws at them. Jagdeo seems to be inhibited by the perception that because the Coalition had done so poorly and the general populace is in a complaint mode, supporters will vote for any puppet thrown at them despite their baggage. In a scenario where corruption is seen as the ever present plague in society, a presidential candidate, perceived to be complicit in corruption will not appeal to proactive members of society, the proactive segment has grown considerably over the years. The proactives won’t mind gravitating to the third force.
The central committee has outlive its relevance -compliments of Jagdeo.
Rudolph Singh
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