Even though there might be a preoccupation with the next PPP presidential candidate for the 2011 elections, this is not an agenda item at the party’s triennial congress this weekend.
However, PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar told Stabroek News that the issue could arise since any issue could be discussed and decided on at congress; the highest decision-making forum of the party. It is expected that some 1,500 local and overseas delegates and observers from across the country will attend the party’s 29th congress at New Diamond Secondary School, East Bank Demerara on August 2 and 3. In addition there would be a number of special invitees including some from overseas, mainly the Caribbean.
Nevertheless, Ramotar, who had indicated earlier to the media that he was interested in the presidency, said, “I still think it is too early for us to decide who will be the presidential candidate.”
President Bharrat Jagdeo’s term in office is constitutionally due to come to an end in 2011 and this Ramotar said has attracted the attention of many, who would be looking to see how the party deals with this issue. They would want to see if the party would seek to extend Jagdeo’s term or select a new candidate.
Asked about the mechanism by which the party would decide on a candidate, he said he expected the process would be done differently than how it would have been done in the past. Quizzed about this, he said that the method of selection by the leadership of the party might come under review at the congress. “There continues to be continuous review,” he said not elaborating on the past selection process.
Asked about the importance of this particular congress, Ramotar said all the congresses were important since these were where the membership recommitted itself to the objectives of the party and re-elected its leadership, in this case 35 members to the Central Committee (CC). He hinted that there might be some new faces in the CC, as some persons might not be re-elected.
In addition, the party, has received a number of resolutions and motions from groups around the country, which would be discussed and action taken on the resolutions and motions put forward.
From some of the resolutions and motions received, he said it was obvious that the congress would be dealing with the organization of the party itself and suggestions about modifying some of its structures, how to improve its work, the kind of party groups needed in the current environment, and reviewing the party’s elections machinery.
In addition, he said that as a party in government, there would be a focus on how the party improves its developmental trust.
At this stage, he said, the party was in the process of accumulating all the resolutions coming from the groups, looking at commonalities and trying to consolidate them into one or two motions or resolutions.
Delegates would also want to raise a number of local issues and these would have to be taken into account as well, he said.
With regard to the development of the party, the membership would also be reviewing basic documents like the party’s constitution in keeping with current development trends.
The theme of the congress is ‘Strengthen the Party; Secure the Nation; Accelerate Development’, and Ramotar said it was selected because the party could not live in the past and needed to continuously plan its future. “It is a mistake to believe that we can live on our reputation; to think that everything was alright and just relax on our laurels and wake up one morning to find that a hell of a lot has changed,” he said.
“We see strengthening of the party as very, very important in the whole process of the development of the country as a whole and because it is also party in government,” hence the first part of the theme. Though the structure of the party has been strong in the past, he said, this did not mean it would remain that way forever. He said that as has happened in the past the role of the ‘Civic’ component to the PPP would have to be re-assessed.
In terms of securing the nation, Ramotar said that apart from dealing with the security issues in terms of crime which is affecting the country at present, the party was also looking at broadening the economic base to make it less susceptible to the shocks rocking the global community, like the current rise in food and energy prices.
CC member Robert Persaud is chairing the opening session of the congress at which President Jagdeo; former president and founder member of the party, Mrs Janet Jagan and Ramotar would deliver addresses.
Persaud, as a senior minister of the Jagdeo Cabinet, is being seen as one of the younger party members, aspiring to the presidency.
Asked whether Persaud’s chairmanship of the opening session was an exposure to the membership to approve his nomination when that time came, Ramotar said, “We are in a fairly fortunate position with a lot of good young people with quite a lot of talent. I am happy that with the kind of quality developing among the young people, with their leadership at the highest level of the party, our immediate future as a party is assured.”
Contacted on the importance of the congress to the party and the nation as a whole, Persaud told this newspaper that he could not speak about the congress without permission from the General Secretary. “Unless I get permission from the General Secretary to speak on the congress, I wouldn’t say anything,” he said.
Persaud, who is the Minister of Agriculture said, “I want to be guided by the General Secretary. I would speak on any matter relating to agriculture but not the congress.”
Irfan Ally, a non-voting CC member, will be giving the salute to fallen comrades at the opening session. It is expected that Ally, a PPP/C MP, who was elected at the last congress at Anna Regina in 2005 as a candidate member (non-voting) would poll higher numbers at this meeting to cast his vote at the higher levels of the party’s leadership for the next triennium.
Quizzed on the importance of the congress Ally told Stabroek News that the three issues underlying the theme of congress were critical not only in terms of being rid of crime and securing the nation, but as regards food, economic and social security. “These are critical for the overall development of the country,” he said.
In addition, he said that party members have to recommit to securing, maintaining and accelerating the economic and social development that would have taken place in the country since the PPP/C took office and which were vital for improved living standards and the growth of the nation. “Of course in all of this, we, as individuals, in everything we do, would have to always strive to make the party stronger, more effective, more efficient and more relevant to the changing conditions nationally, regionally and globally,” he said.
Another young CC member Anil Nandlall said he was looking forward to the congress because he has seen a number of changes for the better taking place within the party. For instance, he said, that in the past party members would not canvass for leadership posts in the party. “It was almost unheard of, but people are doing it now,” he said.
Though he would not speak about the agenda of the party which is in the domain of the General Secretary, Nandlall said that he expected a number of issues would be raised including reaching a consensus on a broad guideline of how the party would select its presidential candidate and how it intended to go to the next general elections.
Even if it was not on the agenda, the subject of the party’s presidential candidate would come up, he said. He expected that as the incumbent in government, the issue of alliances with the party would arise in terms of further strengthening its base.
“What is important for people to understand is that whatever mechanism is decided for the selection of possible presidential candidates, the actual selection of that person, or, those persons is entirely a party process. The decision will be made by the party and the members of the party to the exclusion of all other forces,” he said.
Two other CC members, who asked for anonymity because only the General Secretary and Chairman of the congress organising committee Clement Rohee were authorized to speak with the media, said they were excited about the congress for many reasons.
They expect some changes in the composition of the Central Committee, since some members of the party would be lobbying for former CC and Executive member, Moses Nagamootoo, to be returned to the bosom of the party. However, they said, there were those who would not wish to see him re-elected.
In addition, they felt that some persons, who were currently in ministerial positions and who would have been encouraged to join the party would be elected to the CC. Nominations for the election of the 35 voting members and the five non-voting members of the CC are already in.
They too felt that the issue of the presidential candidate was sure to be raised since in subtle ways, at least two executive members of the party — Ramotar and Persaud — who are also CC members, appear to have been gathering the support of the party’s membership either through direct or indirect contact in the run up to the congress.
In addition, they said that these two persons have fairly strong support from within the party as well, though lobbying for a position in the party was not encouraged. “Leaders are more or less identified by the party’s leadership,” they said while expressing the hope that the process of selecting the presidential candidate would be more broad-based this time around.
