-Ramotar says may just be mischief
A group calling itself the Guyanese Coalition For Jagdeo Third Term (GCFJTT) has been campaigning for a third term for President Bharrat Jagdeo by distributing flyers and buttons amid growing public concerns that a move may be afoot to amend the constitution to remove term limits.
It is, however, unclear who the members of this group are and whether they are affiliated with any another organization.
The flyer being distributed bears the header “WE SUPPORT A THIRD TERM FOR JAGDEO”. The document goes on to say: “We the people of Guyana admires Presi-dent Bharrat Jagdeo for his visionary, courageous and astute leadership over the years. We need Jagdeo to continue the developmental path for a modern, peaceful and prosperous Guyana. In this respect, we are prepared to utilize the constitutional mechanisms to a third term as President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.”
The flyer, which carries the name of the group, ends with the footer: “JAGDEO! OUR CHOICE FOR 2011”.
The button that is being distributed is white and it has the words “JAGDEO 3rd TERM” printed in red.
Meanwhile, suggestions that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) may be behind this have been refuted by its General Secretary Donald Ramotar. Ramotar, when contacted, told Stabroek News that the party is not in anyway associated with the GCFJTT and emphasized that the flyers and buttons “have nothing to do with the PPP”. He told this newspaper that he, himself, had been presented with one of the flyers and a button, from an unknown source. Ramotar opined that “it may be somebody trying to be mischievous since the President has repeatedly stated his position on the matter.”
Several leading members of the PPP have already begun jockeying to be considered as their party’s next presidential candidate and Ramotar himself had suggested that he too could be a candidate.
When Stabroek News contacted the Office of the President yesterday, this newspaper was informed that no comment would be issued on the matter.
The issue of the constitution possibly being amended to allow President Jagdeo to run for a third term has been raised several times , but Jagdeo has on more than one occasion denied having any interest in contesting for the Presidency again.
When the issue was raised at a recent dinner with members of the private sector, Jagdeo told the gathering that the matter was one which had been subject to much speculation. “I have no interest in another term… all that speculation out there is just that, speculation. The media has been in a frenzy,” Jagdeo said. The President opined that the speculation might be triggered by persons who fear that he may endorse a particular individual.
Jagdeo had made a similar announcement at a press conference while he was in Trinidad attending the Fifth Summit of the Americas in April.
Some political parties clearly do not believe the President and have been campaigning against his running for a third time. The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) recently said that it hoped that the PPP/Civic would not engage in any “adventurist” steps to subvert term limits.
“The WPA hopes and expects that the PPP/Civic would not engage in any adventurist process aimed at subverting the Constitution and its term limits. The WPA advises, well in advance, schemes to subvert and/or undermine the Constitution would be most unwise”, the party said in a statement. The party also did not elaborate as to what prompted its warning.
In July, Alliance For Change Leader Raphael Trotman said that his party would resist any effort to extend the term limit for Jagdeo.
The two-term limit was set during an extensive reform of the Burnham constitution a decade ago and observers say the PPP/C would be unable to credibly defend a change just to facilitate Jagdeo.
