– Nagamootoo
The PPP’s recent announcement that it will select its presidential candidate for the next election via the traditional procedure has surprised presidential hopeful Moses Nagamootoo, who says that the party’s members should be stunned that “they no longer count”.
Last week, the PPP said that “a recently ratified” document reinforced the party’s long-standing and tested procedure on the selection of a presidential candidate. According to the party, the procedure allows for the nomination/expression of interest by individuals, deliberations at the level of the Executive Committee and subsequent approval by the Central Committee. “The approved candidate will then be announced to the membership through regional conferences,” the party said, while pointing out that this process was used in the selection of the late Dr Cheddi Jagan and Mrs Janet Jagan, as well as current President Bharrat Jagdeo when contesting previous elections.
The party said that the selection document outlines a code of conduct which potential presidential candidates and their supporters must adhere to before and after the selection of the agreed presidential candidate.
Nagamootoo, who is currently overseas, when contacted via email said that he was unaware of any “selection document”. He said that he was also “unaware that the ‘party’ took the decision” to select the presidential candidate by a small group. “Our party members ought to be just as surprised as I am that they no longer count,” he said.
Nagamootoo, during an interview with this newspaper in March, had said that the selection of a presidential candidate should involve all of the party’s membership. Stating that the current procedure is outdated, he called for a system to be implemented where potential candidates could declare their interest and their availability and submit data that could be circulated to the party members. While declaring his interest in the post, Nagamootoo said he would support another candidate, once the selection was done in an open and democratic manner.
With no automatic presidential candidate for the PPP, owing to the ineligibility of President Jagdeo to seek re-election because of a constitutional term-limit, several party members have indicated their interest in being the party’s candidate. These include Party General Secretary Donald Ramotar, Speaker of the House Ralph Ramkarran and Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee.
Earlier this month, Nagamootoo had questioned what he called the “state sponsorship” of Ramotar for the party’s presidential nomination, owing to his inclusion on cabinet outreaches and on overseas visits with President Jagdeo. Nagamootoo said he was opposed to a single candidate being recommended by the party leadership and argued that Ramotar’s inclusion was disadvantageous to other candidates. “This is deliberately selective and unfair” and could derail the selection process, he said, while adding that “if this continues, I will withdraw from the process.”
