Dear Editor,

The following was extracted from an article on April 2: “Demerara Waves understands that several members of the Central Committee are pushing for a greater say in deciding who should be the candidate, failing which several of them have threatened to publicly express their displeasure and begin a campaign for the matter to be taken to the ground-level, possibly through regional conferences.”

The Central Committee (CC) is the highest decision-making forum between congresses within the PPP. The Executive Committee supposedly has to carry out the decisions of the party congress and the CC. Unfortunately the executive has been usurping the functions of the CC. It has done so in a very undemocratic manner, thus allowing not fifteen but eight persons to dominate the party decision-making processes.

It has reached the stage where if eight persons stand for a particular position and there are seven against, the seven are under pressure not to air their views within the CC. The executive had previously tried to ensure that the minority not even vote against the position, although this was not achieved, but given the nature of the Jagdeo presidency and the fact that many are employed by the President in various capacities, one can appreciate the controls. If the conditions for free debate were allowed, then the CC members would be informed in a better way about the pros and cons, and so be able to make more informed decisions. Admittedly there were a few brave enough to speak their minds. In any event, this state of affairs is undemocratic and anti the constitution of the PPP.

The membership of the PPP has got to stand and take back the party in the interest of all Guyanese. This discussion needs to commence in every forum. We need a PPP candidate who would put Guyana first, the working people especially. One who is a thinker, creative, grass roots and inclusive, with the consciousness of the need to unite – especially the working people of all races; with the consciousnesses to recognize that the Washington Consensus imposed by America through the IMF and slavishly followed by President Jagdeo has not served the interest of the working people.

This individual must also recognize the need to encourage local private capital investment with some level of protectionism, encourage foreign investments but at the same time recognize the limitation of private capital. Such a person must recognize the need for the state to also invest and to actively encourage the development and expansion of cooperatives.

To those who have been conditioned to believe that the state cannot be efficient, please appreciate that many states and communities in the USA own and control companies and have been making profits. They should also recognize that it was private capital that created the global mess that we are in, and while they saved themselves with the help of the governments of the rich countries, the workers are catching hell.

We need government which will place the workers first and which will bail out the workers as we constitute the majority in the production processes.

In closing I reiterate that we need to follow Jagan’s tri-sectoral economy and put someone to lead that is closest to Jagan’s working-class outlook. It is my opinion that we should agitate for increased say by the members.   It’s my belief that Moses Nagamootoo is such a person. We tried youth, now we have to try maturity and patriotism, combined with a working-class orientation at a high level.

Yours faithfully,
Rajendra Bissessar