For Ali’s presidency to survive, Jagdeo must go!

Oct 20, 2024 Peeping Tom

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Peeping tom…

Kaieteur News – The Ali-Jagdeo dynamic has grown into a spectacle, where the supporting actor has not only stolen the spotlight but also started rewriting the script. President Irfaan Ali finds himself caught in a precarious dance with Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo—a man whose influence has gradually overshadowed the presidency. What should have been a period of smooth governance and political stability under the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) is now marred by the overreach of a man who seems more intent on proving his indispensability than respecting the boundaries of his role.

Jagdeo, whose official portfolio includes overseeing the environment, finance, and natural resources, has fashioned himself into a one-man band, opining on every conceivable matter of national importance. Whether it’s foreign policy, economic strategy, or the government’s legislative agenda, Jagdeo’s voice consistently precedes that of President Ali’s. His tendency to act as the government’s de facto spokesperson was glaringly evident when, a full week before Ali himself, it was Jagdeo who announced that the president would address Parliament. This brazen pre-emption exposes a deeper crisis of leadership: one in which the presidency, the highest office in the land, appears less authoritative than the vice presidency.

The danger Jagdeo poses to President Ali’s administration is not merely a matter of political optics; it’s an existential threat to Ali’s leadership and to the legitimacy of the One Guyana agenda that Ali has been so eager to promote. The One Guyana vision—a platform built on inclusivity, national unity, and a break from the toxic political rivalries of the past—has been repeatedly undermined by Jagdeo’s antics. His weekly press conferences have become little more than verbal mudslinging sessions, targeting the Opposition and any critic who dares challenge the PPPC. These weekly diatribes have not only antagonized the supporters of the Opposition but has also galvanized and energized them.

The 2020 elections were marred by allegations of electoral manipulation from the Opposition, yet the PPPC emerged victorious, with a clear but thin mandate to govern. That victory, however, is now jeopardized, largely due to Jagdeo’s reckless political approach. The PPPC was expected to dominate in 2025, buoyed by the memory of the Opposition’s 2020 shenanigans.

Instead, that advantage has been squandered. Jagdeo’s outbursts have gifted the Opposition a lifeline—one that was readily seized, as seen in the unexpected results of the recent local government elections. Despite running a lackluster and frugal campaign, the Opposition managed to sweep the Linden municipality and retain control of Georgetown and New Amsterdam. These results were less about the strength of the Opposition and more a reflection of the backlash against Jagdeo’s divisive weekly tantrums.

This is where the Ali presidency hangs in the balance. Ali must confront an uncomfortable truth: the vice president who was supposed to strengthen his administration has instead become a political liability. The longer Jagdeo remains the self-appointed voice of the government, the more support Ali will lose. And    for a country as politically polarized as Guyana, the consequences of that fallout will be to the detriment of the PPPC. Instead of rallying support around the government’s achievements, Jagdeo has become a magnet for discontent, ensuring that the Opposition remains relevant and potent.

Jagdeo’s most egregious overstep is his antagonism towards the free press. His thin-skinned responses to media criticism is troubling. Instead of accepting the media’s role in holding power accountable, Jagdeo has chosen to treat criticism as an affront, launching attacks. It is a stance that not only damages his own credibility but also casts a shadow over the entire administration. In a political climate where the press remains one of the few institutions with the capacity to challenge state power, such belligerence is dangerous. It signals to the public that dissent will not be tolerated, and it tarnishes the very notion of a government that claims to be building a more inclusive society.

President Ali now faces a critical juncture in his presidency. If he wishes to maintain any semblance of authority, if he hopes to preserve the vision of a One Guyana, he must distance himself from Jagdeo’s divisive shadow.  For Ali, the consequences are becoming increasingly clear: continue to allow Jagdeo to dominate the stage, and he risks becoming little more than a figurehead, a president in name only. Or, assert control over his own administration, curbing Jagdeo’s influence, and reclaiming the narrative of his presidency.

But such a move will require a level of political courage that the Ali administration has thus far failed to demonstrate. It will mean risking a confrontation with a man who has, over the years, built a formidable power base within the PPPC and beyond. It will mean rejecting the comforts of the status quo in favour of a reassertion of presidential authority. Yet, without this decisive action, the Ali presidency is bound to continue its downward spiral.

In the end, Ali’s political survival depends on whether he is willing to recognize Jagdeo for what he has become: a threat to the very stability of the presidency. The question is no longer whether Jagdeo is useful or necessary to the administration—he has proven to be a liability. The question is whether President Ali has the resolve to act before it is too late, to prevent the vice president from becoming the epitaph of a presidency that once held promise. For Irfaan Ali, the path to political salvation is clear, even if fraught with risks. To survive, he must do what many believe is impossible: he must let Jagdeo go.

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• administration, curbing Jagdeo’s influence, indispensability, PPPC, President Irfaan Ali, shenanigans, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

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