Dear Editor,
I see that Mr Peter Ramsaroop is at it again, writing sheer nonsense about how the PPP should boycott Parliament and trying to be noticed and pertinent to the politics of Guyana. This man is surely living in a bubble, a hot air specialist in the political context of Guyana.
With Venezuela’s spurious claims to our territory, it is essential that the PPP shows a united approach to this external threat, and that is the first reason to go into Parliament; they should remember that President Cheddi always (check the record) put nationalistic interests above party politics, and the aggressive position the Maduro government has chosen will imperil our future potential revenues from oil which will benefit every one of us. Maduro’s economic and social solutions have wrecked Venezuela’s economy and he’s now trying to use territorial claims against Guyana to divert attention from his failed policies. But on this issue, President Obama will be on our side; we just have to be united and stand together.
Editor, the second reason the PPP should ignore Mr Ramsaroop’s foolhardy statements is the very nature of democratic governance where the opposition, once accepting defeat at the polls (the PPP was defeated, not cheated as they claim), plays an important role in defining the very nature of where the country is going, economically, politically and at the social level. That the government has sent out an olive branch to the PPP to begin inclusive governance is even more of a reason to disregard notions such as Ramsaroop’s and enter Parliament.
The third reason why the PPP should enter Parliament is to access the free press with their views on important issues, to bring money to the party’s coffers and to keep their MPs fully engaged and politicized, especially since their defeat and the end of their overt dominance of radio,TV and the state-owned newspaper. Funds will become a problem as all the soup-drinkers and opportunists who were their friends while they were in power will now desert them and stop giving money; also all the state resources which the PPP used, contrary to the laws of Guyana, will now dry up, leaving that party on the edge of financial collapse. Their key people need to be kept at the cutting edge of the political landscape, so Parliamentary activity is a necessity for the survival of the PPP. Hopefully, young people will be placed in Parliament who will struggle for the good of country and not selfish party interests.
Editor, the last reason that the PPP should and will enter Parliament, is simply to keep itself relevant to its own supporters, who, if not represented, will slowly and surely desert that party, especially if legislation is passed without their presence that directly affects the needs and aspirations of their supporters. With their presence compromises could be worked out and deals done to ensure fairness and consideration for their supporters.
Editor, political wannabees like Mr Ramsaroop need to keep quiet and let democracy in Guyana flourish, not in the fashion his PPP masters tried to place on the backs of the Guyanese nation, but with a new dispensation under the watchful eyes of President Granger and PM Nagamootoo, who are fully committed to a new democratic beginning, free of corruption, nepotism and cronyism.
Yours faithfully,
Cheddi (Joey) Jagan (Jr)
