Group working behind scenes for a Nagamootoo presidential candidacy

Dear Editor,

Some time ago I read a letter asking ‘Who will the PPP field as its presidential candidate?’ He went on to suggest that there were two groups actively at work, one for Donald Ramotar and the other for Dr Frank Anthony. He continued by pointing out the strengths of Ramotar and the weaknesses of Anthony.

I would like to point out that there is another large group of Guyanese in and out of the country working behind the scenes for a Nagamootoo candidacy. This group believes that Nagamootoo demonstrated dedicated and strong leadership when he served as a minister of the government and on various important government committees.

He has tremendous grassroots support demonstrated in the number of party members who voted for him at various party congresses; and he has tremendous support among all race groups in Guyana, more overall support than any other leader of the party including Jagdeo, Ramotar, Anthony and Rohee, which he demonstrated when he became the face of the PPP on the same platform with the WPA’s Dr Walter Rodney.

He is well known and respected in the international arena spent many years as a reporter writing for the Mirror, Novosty and various Caribbean newspapers. He also served with distinction on various committees of journalist associations.

He is an author whose first book was favourably reviewed, and he was invited to speak at Harvard University about his book Hendree’s Cure.

He came from very humble beginnings and has a deep understanding of the struggles of the average Guyanese and will not forget whence he came; he believes very strongly that government must work for and represent all the peoples of Guyana, regardless of race, ethnicity. religion or cultural differences.

He is not afraid to speak out against corruption, as demonstrated when he suggested to the party leadership that there should be an investigation into the allegation of a death squad operating in the country.

He is a respected attorney and constitutionalist who will uphold the constitution of Guyana as well as human and civil rights of all Guyanese.

He is not afraid to stand up to the President and the party machinery when he feels they are not doing the peoples’ business. As a result there is a clique in the party leadership which is working assiduously to blackball him at every move because they are afraid he will succeed where they have failed.

Moses Nagamootoo joined the struggle of the PPP when he was a teenager and has never faltered. He became a stalwart of the struggle was beaten, abused and ‘detained’ by the colonial police, all of which hardened him as a politician. Over the years under the tutelage of the late Dr Jagan he developed political savvy that Dr Jagan before his passing, thought Moses would be a worthy successor.

This group hopes that when the time is right Moses Nagamootoo will challenge the leadership to become the presidential candidate of the PPP.

Yours faithfully,
Lionel Sewpershad