Like a good, old-fashioned communist party the PPP has managed to put to rest the drama and controversy that surrounded the choice of a presidential candidate. No one was surprised that after the to-ing and fro-ing over exactly how to select the candidate the Party eventually came up with its ideological gatekeeper, Donald Ramotar. The other hopefuls dutifully withdrew, bowing to the will of the Party……..at least so we were told. The announcement that Messrs Ramkarran and Rohee and Ms. Teixeira dutifully withdrew to leave the Party General Secretary “humbled” in victory was pure political theatre in the good, old-fashioned communist/socialist sense. The public discourse will persist as to whether or not Mr. Ramotar is presidential material but the PPP has already made its decision and its remains for the Guyanese people to make theirs.
After Bharrat Jagdeo’s presidency Donald Ramotar’s candidature is regarded in some circles as something of a throwback to the “good old Marxist days” of the PPP. Others hold the view that the PPP has decided that it has had enough of the pseudo-liberalism associated with the post Cold-War political period. Times may have changed but the PPP remains the PPP and the prevailing view is that Mr. Ramotar will see to that.
How much significance can be read into the polite statements by Brigadier Granger and Mr. Ramotar on the desirability of fair elections is, of course, open to question. The playing field would already appear to be heavily weighted in favor of the PPP/C and even this early in the piece opposition protests over state control of the media have surfaced. State control of the media and the challenges which opposition parties will face in getting their campaign messages across could arise more and more as polling day draws closer.
As far as campaign funding is concerned no one doubts that the PPP/C will throw the proverbial ‘kitchen sink’ at these elections and after the government’s recent acceptance of a $50,000 gift from a Chinese firm following a computer purchase contract, questions have been raised as to whether far too little attention is being paid to possible sources of elections funding.
