A few days ago, it was reported that former president Donald Ramotar stridently objected to Red House, the home of the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre (CJRC), being used as a state-funded research centre for all past presidents. Given my understanding of the PPP’s perception of the political nature of Guyana and its efforts in government to dominate the political space, I was not surprised by his statement (`Find somewhere else for Burnham & Hoyte – Ramotar on Red House deal’ SN 29/10/2015).
Although I agree that the way the PPP attempted to combine the use of state assets with its perennial control of the CJRC is unusual, I do not consider it a conspiracy to steal state resources. I believe that Cheddi Jagan is sufficiently important for Red House to be given and/or maintained as a centre by the state in his honour. Indeed,