Dear Editor,
My apologies to you and your readers. The period I wrote about was indeed a very tumultuous one (‘Mrs Jagan put forward five names for consideration to succeed her’ SN, August 14). Events were moving at a very rapid pace and decisions were required of the party.
The situation I referred to in my letter remains factually correct. Save and except, the post debated at the Central Committee at the time with respect to the five names recommended by Comrade Janet Jagan was not the presidency but the position of General Secretary of the Party. Further, since the two posts of General Secretary and President were combined in one under Dr Cheddi Jagan, the first task facing the party was to separate the two posts and then to identify a General Secretary from the five names recommended by Comrade Janet.
Later, having completed that task, the Central Committee then proceeded subsequently to identify a comrade who would eventually succeed Comrade Janet should she not be able to continue. This was exemplified in the decision to announce the ‘A’ Team, namely, Janet Jagan, Samuel Hinds and Bharrat Jagdeo at the 1997 elections campaign. In neither of the two scenarios referred to above, was Comrade Nagamootoo’s name proposed nor was there a split in the leadership as regards a Nagamootoo or Ramkarran candidacy.
Yours faithfully,
Clement J. Rohee
Member of the Central
and Executive Committees
PPP
