President Donald Ramotar is the first Guyanese Head of State ever to have to compete for the presidential candidature. These are different political times. Both the ruling People’s Progressive Party/CIVIC and the People’s National Congress/Reform have been seeking to place a façade of democratic behaviour on their modus operandi. That includes making changes to the processes by which they elect their presidential candidates. The era of the maximum leader is over and Prersident Ramotar and Opposition Leader David Granger are experimental guinea pigs for the selection process for presidential candidates.
Even inside the PPP/C there appeared to be no unanimity on Donald Ramotar’s candidature. While the names of some of the competing candidates appeared suspiciously like red herrings,