PPP Executive Ralph Ramkarran has given notice to the ruling party’s leadership that he intends to seek the nomination to be its presidential candidate at next year’s general elections.
“I therefore formally indicate to you and the Central Committee my interest in securing the nomination of the party as its Presidential Candidate,” Ramkarran stated in a recent letter to PPP General Secretary
Donald Ramotar. An extract of the letter was published in today’s Stabroek News in a full-page advertisement in which Ramkarran extends Christmas and New Year’s greetings to all Guyanese. He further stated: “I believe that I am fully qualified to undertake the onerous responsibilities of the presidency….”
Ramkarran, who is Speaker of the National Assembly, has publicly declared his interest in being the party’s candidate as has Ramotar, Home Minister Clement Rohee and MP Moses Nagamootoo.
According to the PPP, the procedure to select the candidate allows for the nomination/expression of interest by interested 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 PPP has said the selection process was used to identify all its presidential candidates; late former presidents Dr Cheddi Jagan and Mrs Janet Jagan as well as current President Bharrat Jagdeo.
Ramkarran has previously indicated that he expected that if the leadership of the ruling PPP fails to unanimously agree on a presidential candidate, nominations will likely take place and a secret ballot will be taken. In the extract of his letter to Ramotar, he stated: “I expect that as in all important decisions since 1950 to present,…the elections for the Presidential Candidate will be held by secret ballot if there is more than one nominee.”
Unlike the last two general elections, there is no automatic presidential candidate for the PPP, owing to the ineligibility of President Jagdeo to seek re-election because of a constitutional term-limit.
Since the public declarations of interest, Nagamootoo has questioned what he calls the “state sponsorship” of Ramotar for the party’s presidential nomination, owing to his inclusion on cabinet outreaches and on overseas visits by President Jagdeo. Appearing on the “Eye on the Issues” talk show, he said he was opposed to a single candidate being recommended by the party leadership and he contended that Ramotar’s inclusion was 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.”
Last week, Ramotar’s inclusion on the country’s delegation to Mercosur was questioned, in light of the PPP’s imminent decision on a candidate as well as concerns about party paramountcy. Ramotar’s inclusion is being funded by the state as part of the country delegation and Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon noted that he was attending in his capacity as General Secretary of the governing party. “I don’t think we’re ever going to be apologetic about that recognition of the importance of the General Secretary of the governing People’s Progressive Party. I don’t believe that you would have us believe … that there is some slavish line that separates the governing party in the Westminster model from the executive. Wherein lies the source of its plans and programmes and strategies? It’s the governing party,” Luncheon stated. He had previously stated that Ramotar’s presence signalled the PPP’s role in governance.
For his part, Ramotar has said the party’s fate is tied to the activities of the government. “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.
