Dear Editor,
Ralph Ramkarran’s resignation is the nadir of the PPP’s catastrophic descent into disgrace. Mr Ramkarran‘s silent bystander stance to the actions of this Stalinist party has been criticised by me and others. I have railed against his convenient morality when surrounded by wrongdoing and opting to keep quiet out of mutual respect and cooperation instead of standing up to fight those robbing the PPP of its last shreds of dignity. But today I feel for Mr Ramkarran who after refusing to expose those sinking the PPP ship for fear of damaging the party was forced out of the party he and his family had supported from its formation. Mr Ramkarran’s exit from the PPP is a lesson in the danger of dictatorial politics in Guyana. We saw it during the days of the PNC and now it is manifesting itself in the PPP. His departure is likely to be celebrated by the Jagdeoites who dominate the PPP’s Central Committee. A dissenting voice of internal reason is no longer there to check and balance them. One less figure to fight them as they steamroll their way to absolute control of the PPP and the wrecking of this nation.
The fact that Mr Ramkarran resigned in circumstances where he was criticised by members of Mr Ramotar’s government over calls for the PPP to fight corruption tells me that this version of the PPP and those running it have no desire to fight corruption. It tells the public and PPP supporters that the few who have undemocratically taken over the PPP in a fashion similar to Forbes Burnham and the PNC do not see corruption as a problem. This group is now the Burnhamites within the PPP.
Their denigration of Ralph Ramkarran over his calls for a better fight against corruption reminds us that they see their conduct as pure, innocent, wholesome and full of integrity. That they do not see the degeneracy of this country they have created and they or their friends benefit from as wrong. That these men and women who happen to be a handful possess an arrogance and hubris.
I suspect Mr Ramkarran wanted the public to know he was going to fight for the PPP’s nomination as its presidential candidate if a snap election was called. They not only forced him out of the party, they forced out a potential contender who has greater legitimacy with the PPP membership than Mr Ramotar ever had. Given Mr Ramotar’s dismal performance in the seven months since the election, his star has fallen a far way below Mr Ramkarran’s.
All that Donald Ramotar has said about fighting corruption in the recent past is now formally useless talk with no action behind it. The PPP’s action against Ralph Ramkarran is firm evidence of the hollowness of Mr Ramotar’s promises.
It confirms what kind of political organization the PPP has become. For all his flaws, Ralph Ramkarran has dedicated more of his life to the struggles of the working class in Guyana than those who are consumed with dedicating their lives to usurping so much from the working people of Guyana that the working class’ struggles are compounded at every turn.
Yours faithfully,
M Maxwell
