Dear Editor,
In Sunday Stabroek dated August 10, the headline stated “PPP Central Committee votes…Ramkarran disappointed, cites lobby against him”. I find this very interesting. It is obvious from his statement that he recognizes the real possibility of lobbies against candidates. I now ask him if he recognizes that this kind of lobbying was conducted in the past to affect other candidates.
Mr Ramkarran should know many of the other leading members, members for over 25 years who were in the trenches, who were placed in the lock ups and suffered job wise as well as physically in addition to being academically qualified, have contested over the years and did not get in.
He would also be aware that a number of persons who became members of the party relatively recently were catapulted into the leadership defying democratic norms and logic.
Mr Ramkarran must know of persons who did very little if nothing at all for the PYO and the PPP but were given big positions including the position of ambassador possibly because of family connections and friendship.
Mr Ramkarran should know of other persons who were marginalized by the party leadership because they were outspoken and were critical of the way the party and certain leaders functioned.
If Mr. Ramkarran wants to suggest that his case was the first then he can do so.
Would Mr Ramkarran explain to us how it is that congress, the highest forum of the party, took a decision to have 20% Civic and this was flouted by the executive, and central committee of the PPP. Is Mr Ramkarran in agreement with the government being over 60% Civic? Did he as an executive member of the party oppose the undemocratic flouting of a congress decision?
We know that Mr. Ramkarran feels good about himself as the speaker of the Parliament but does he realise that having over sixty percent Civic has resulted in other members of the party, some of whom are more qualified than many of the Civic, being left out and that as a consequence they would be upset. Some of these members endured suffering at the hands of the PNC in ways that Mr. Ramkarran never did.
How does Mr. Ramkarran view the fact that Moses Nagamootoo at one time obtained the second most popular votes at congress and the Central Committee did not see it fit to elect him into the executive? Should Mr Nagamootoo have felt as upset as Mr Ramkarran feels now and should he have made his feelings known to the press.
Yours faithfully,
(name and address provided)
The P.P.P is in disarray,there is a power struggle,with factions supporting individuals for the presidency,The joint opposition should come together for 2011.Guyanese are looking for a leader who can bring down the cost of living and stop the crime.
Both major political parties (PPP & PNC) are guilty of dirty tricks and schoolyard type lobbying when it comes to securing leadership positions on their respective central committees.
TERM LIMITES would take care of the pushing and shoving by the old guard, while allowing new fresh ideas for social change and development to come up easier to the surface. Guyana’s politics needs serious change, ’cause it is old and outdated.
Just imagine this folks, Forbes Burnham was the founding leader of the PNC until his death and Dr Jagan was also the founding leader of the PPP until his death. Folks it is time to step into the 21st century and find another way of doing things, because right now, Guyana is dying under its own weight with this nonsense.
The problem is that the old head remains and theypushed the policy of bringing new and young blood. The leaders would use their position to push for their family or favourites. We all know who pushed Irfan and Anil Nandalall. Although West ford is not exactly young we know who pushed her as well.
The old heads would like the new ones as the ones who were in the trenches and who were “jaganites would be more prone to say “But” to them. They woyld prefer more pliable persons.
Like Irfan they would be put to address congress and sent or taken to meet the membership as representative of the party. If I am not mistaken Mustapha, Hydar Ally and Jafar Ally were made members of the congress committee. Certain persons especially if you were that “but” person would not be placed to do anyof those things and so they would never become popular. Bear in mind that there are hundreds of delegates who are new members with not too much over a year membership
Mr /Mrs/ Ms Cochore was Jagdeo not a change from the old guard. look what he has done to Guyana’…….
Stabnews I assume that one of the reasons for the government’s animosity towards you is because you allow person or persons who criticize them to withhold their identity. If these people are bold enough to write, then they should be bold enough to represent what they write. I don’t see your editor hiding when he writes something critical of the government.
When In opposition many of the PPP members who were in government jobs would write under pen names. They are aware of this. They are also aware that today they are in government and they have people writing under pen names defending them.
It is my opinion that it is the content that matters, The ideas that matters and not who wrote them.
It certainly would have helped Mr. Ramkarran and Mr. Nagamootoo, had they spoken out much earlier, of the abuses of democratic norms and practice within the PPP.
Maintaining and nurturing the culture of ‘ sheepish ‘ silence and loyalty to the PPP, without public knowledge of the abuses within the organization, is unhealthy and detrimental, not only to the PPP and its membership, but ultimately to the larger community, whose affairs, the PPP aspires to manage.
With the evolving situation, it quite clear that both Mr. Ramkarran and Mr. Nagamootoo are reactive, to this negative campaign and picture being painted of them; had they been proactive, much of the damage could have been avoided.
I am not aware that Mr. Nagamootoo spoke out recently. I however wonder if Mr. Nagamootoo is aware that there is manipulation with regards to marginalising certain Comrades and the promoting of others.
It is singularly unfortunate that the journalist concentrate on discussing those who have made it or were puished to the upper echelons of the party.
How about an analysis of those whu are regarded as second level leaders who did not get into the CC. There are those who are well known long activists of the party who could not get in and who were never given the push like Irfan, robert and Anil Nandalall.
Persons who like Ramkarran understands one; the negative lobbying, two; the deliberate marginalising and three the intense utilisation of the internal dynamics of the party to push the candidates of their choice.
Lets see if the Journalists are capable investigating this. They are pawns in the game when they restrict themselves to discussing the “big Ones” what about the potential big ones.