– surprised internal issues being aired in public
Following public criticism from fellow presidential hopeful Moses Nagamootoo, PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar has defended his inclusion on recent cabinet outreaches and state visits overseas, saying the party’s fate is tied to the activities of the government.
Ramotar also said he was surprised that Nagamootoo would make internal party matters public, after he aired his discontent with the seemingly favoured position the Ramotar holds with the party hierarchy.
Nagamootoo, while appearing as a guest on the talk show “Eye on the Issues” that aired on Sunday, questioned what he called the “state sponsorship” of Ramotar for the party’s presidential nomination. He described the exposure of Ramotar at cabinet outreaches and on overseas visits by President Bharrat Jagdeo as disadvantageous to other candidates. “This is deliberately selective and unfair”, and could derail the selection process, he stated while adding that “if this continues, I will withdraw from the process.”
An MP and Central Committee member for the PPP, Nagamootoo said he was opposed to a single candidate being recommended by the party leadership. He also said the selection process was outdated and a broader consultation with the party’s membership was now required.
When contacted yesterday, Ramotar was reluctant to comment on the selection process, stating only that he was surprised at Nagamootoo’s move to the media. However, he staunchly defended his inclusion on the outreaches and two trips overseas with the president. “I am the general secretary of the PPP and the PPP was elected to the government. In the final analysis, the party gains or loses on what the government does and I have to be interested in everything that happens in government.” According to Ramotar, the PPP believes in a division between the party and government and does not support the notion of party paramountcy. “But we don’t believe in building a wall between the two. The government was elected on the manifesto of the party,” he stated.
Ramotar added that more consideration would have to be taken in addressing Nagamootoo’s statements on the process utilized to select the party’s presidential candidate.
Nagamootoo, who has spent almost 50 years with the PPP, is of the view that in the interest of party unity, a composite slate of eligible candidates should be put forward and exposed to the rank and file. Besides Nagamootoo and Ramotar, two other party leaders have declared their intention to seek the nomination—House Speaker Ralph Ramkarran and Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee. Ramotar and Ramkarran are believed to be the leading candidates.
When asked recently about Ramotar’s recent presence at cabinet outreaches and engagements by the President and government officials, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon said it is indicative of the role the ruling party plays in the administration of the country. He explained that Ramotar, as the general secretary of the ruling party, continues to contribute “ideologically, programmatically and operationally.” He said that based on this, “a place at the head table” is assured for him as well as “a role to play in the engagement of the government and the Guyanese people.”
When asked who funded the general secretary’s trips, Luncheon said public funds were not used for this purpose. “Well… I’m not certain that there is a financial cost that is incurred by Donald Ramotar’s presence at outreaches. Fortunately, we don’t have this resolve to use public funds willy-nilly,” he said. Luncheon added, “these outreaches and our connections with those communities draw heavily on support at the community levels hosting the events and the arrangements for participation.”
