Former Member of Parliament, Dr. Veerasammy Ramayya has quit the Alliance for Change (AFC) charging that Berbicians are not adequately represented in the coalition government that it is a part of.
The announcement was made last evening to Stabroek News via telephone and will be seen as a blow to the AFC as Ramayya had been a key member for years and represented it in the 10th Parliament.
According to Ramayya, he was offered an assistant position in either the Ministry of Agriculture or the Office of the Prime Minister. However, he said he declined the offer made to him by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, also the Vice Chairman of the AFC.
“Moses told me that they would give me one staff and pay me $180,000 per month; be my own chauffeur and use my own vehicle… that is not (an acceptable) position for me for what I have done for the party”.
He said he was also offered the opportunity to return as a Member of Parliament but he declined because he would have to stay in the city and therefore would not be able to work effectively in Berbice.
Ramayya, who had been the subject of fierce attacks by the now opposition PPP/C in the last two elections, further stated that he has noticed that many Berbicians who worked tirelessly with the coalition during the election campaign were not given jobs and he drew this to the coalition’s attention but nothing was done.
“What they are doing is [creating] for the AFC people in Georgetown… Nobody in Berbice did not get a job. All the immediate persons have a ministerial position or some job in GINA… It seems as Berbicians are not qualified and I am dissatisfied”, Ramayya, a popular figure in Berbice, stressed.
He added that he has indicated to the leader of the party and now Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan that he does not want to be a part of the party anymore. When asked what the leader’s take on his declaration was, Ramayya said he remained quiet and seemed as if he didn’t care. Asked if he had submitted a letter of resignation to the party he responded in the negative explaining that he does not plan to do so either.
Ramayya said that he was one of those who did not support the APNU and AFC partnership. He stated that many persons in the AFC camp voted for the coalition because they saw it as a means of taking up a position. However, he admitted that he toed the line and campaigned with the partnership so that in the event of the coalition forming the new government he would be able to have a position to work for Berbice and its people but this did not occur.
“I have done my work and I am not expecting a reward but I want to see Berbice develop in infrastructure. In the 23 years of the PPP/C government nothing where it concerns infrastructure was done to talk about”, Ramayya said.
He further stated that because of his work in Berbice, the AFC and the main opposition APNU were together able to gain a one-seat majority in parliament after the 2011 regional and general elections. He noted too that as a result of the said elections they were able to challenge the then government and force a new election.
Ramayya, who has said in the past that he has used his own money to campaign for the party, has been hosting a weekly television programme in Berbice “Issues of the People” even before joining the AFC. The television programme attracts thousands of viewers as it addresses the problems faced by Berbicians.
Ramayya further said that members of the Berbice AFC chapter are faced with a lot of frustrations as nothing is being offered to them.
“Berbice is not reaping any benefit from the 40% in the coalition… not even a junior minister post was offered to anyone”, Ramayya added.
He said that he would continue to do his independent work to aid his fellow Berbicians.
Ramayya started his political career in the1960s together with Nagamootoo. He migrated to the US where he read for two degrees in political science, one in third world politics and the other in international politics. He later read for a master’s degree and a PhD in psychology.
He said “It is hoped that there would be more transparency, more participation and the people, the taxpayers must know how their money is being spent”.
