There was no motion tabled at the just-concluded PPP Congress calling for a third term to extend President Bharrat Jagdeo’s tenure in office as reported in the Kaieteur News (KN) yesterday and a third term for Jagdeo is not an issue, PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar says.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday on the outcome of the party’s highest decision-making forum held at the Diamond Secondary School, East Bank Demerara over the weekend, Ramotar said that the headline in the KN was misguided since the matter was only mentioned in a speech by senior party member Reepu Daman Persaud.
The General Secretary said the matter was just raised in passing and there was no discussion on it. Asked whether the party has discussed the issue of an extension of the President’s term, he said that for him, “it is not an issue.”
He said there was also no discussion on a mechanism for a choice of the presidential candidate.
There is much time between now and December 2011 when the elections are constitutionally due for the choice of a candidate to be made, he said.
The Chairman of the Congress Committee, Clement Rohee in brief remarks said that the 29th congress was extremely successful in all its activities and the membership would now be reinvigorated. They discussed all key issues affecting the country politically in workshops and in the wider congress.
Apart from key issues affecting the country, Rohee said that the concerns were based on taking advantage of opportunities being available to improve the party structure, making the membership more pro-active and involved in community activities by working with non-governmental organizations and social partners in strengthening community development.
This, they felt, would make the party stronger in government by the next congress which is due after the next general and regional elections are held.
They also felt that there should be more party outreach and improved communication in the more remote areas of the country, he said.
Asked to comment on the pattern of voting given the fact that the President did not get the full support of those casting their votes (a total of 913 votes were cast from a list of 1,020 delegates but Jagdeo got 777) and Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran secured lower than he ever did before, Ramotar said that “there were some unanticipated areas” and Ramkarran’s recording relatively low votes, “was a surprise.”
Another surprise he said was Dr Frank Anthony securing the number of votes he did. Some also told this newspaper that Ramkarran’s number of votes was due to lobbying among delegates in which some were told that voting for him would not make much sense since he was not interested in the presidency while there were others who tried to dispel the view by asking delegates to vote for him as part of a block. Ramotar said the elections were transparent.
$2.5M mobilization bill
Mobilising for the congress and moving people from all parts of the country to the congress cost the party just about $2.5 million, Ramotar said, adding that it might be more but it could have cost the party significantly higher had it not been for significant donations from the membership in terms of providing foodstuff and free labour.
Rohee also expressed his appreciation to the Guyana Police Force and community policing groups which provided security during the activity as well as an internal security system.
He recalled in Berbice six years ago there were issues of security that marred the event at the time.
The Guyana Defence Force helicopter was also very noticeable in the vicinity during the day flying periodically over the venue and its environs.
He said that the army might have been on their regular reconnaissance as during that period they discovered a large marijuana field on one of their flights at Eccles.
Focus on media
Asked about the focus the party placed on the media and lumping a section of it with the opposition political parties, Ramotar said, “We are dealing with reality, with facts on the ground. We notice there is a section of the media… it is not our creation…. It is not in our imagination… for instance they seem to have a focus on trying to attack the government.”
He gave the example of the Stabroek News August 4, 2008 edition where he felt that the presentation on ‘A vision for 2011’ by Central Committee Member Dr Roger Luncheon in which he devoted substantial time on the media, and which he felt was brilliant and all encompassing, was taken out of context. He said that Dr Luncheon has his own style of presentation and he felt that some of what was quoted did not really capture all of what he said.
“For this reason there seems to be some attempt by the media to go out of the way to either support the opposition or become a part of the opposition,” he said.
