PPP General Secretary and Member of Parliament Donald Ramotar has indicated that he is interested in being the party’s presidential candidate at the 2011 general elections since President Bharrat Jagdeo would not be eligible for a third term.
When asked at a press conference yesterday at Freedom House whether the party was beginning to look at presidential candidates for the next general elections, Ramotar said the issue would be one occupying party members.
Around the country people were beginning to raise the issue with the party leadership but at the level of the party leadership it was not yet being discussed, he said, adding that he suspected that they would have to start doing so “very, very soon.”
He noted that the party’s congress was due next year and said he supposed the issue would come up and force the party to start discussing it.
Pressed as to whether he was interested in being the presidential candidate for the party, he answered, “Sure, why not?”
In September Stabroek News had asked 12 PPP/C MPs who they thought the PPP/C’s presidential candidate for the 2011 general elections should be and Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran SC headed the list.
Other possible popular candidates named were Ramotar, Attorney-at-law Moses Nagamootoo, Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony and Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud.
At the time, too, there had been a lot of speculation that President Bharrat Jagdeo – now in his second term – had been interested in a third term but that would require a constitutional amendment.
Stabroek News understands that some leading members of the party are not interested in discussing a third term or even extending President Jagdeo’s term in office. (Miranda La Rose)