The responses of the PPP to The Cummingsburg Accord by APNU and the AFC were a declaration by President Ramotar that it is a “farce” and the unleashing of Ms Elisabeth Harper as its prime ministerial candidate. The first reaction was bravado. The second had real substance. Ms Harper has credentials – ability, integrity, experience, dedication – and her agreement to adorn the PPP’s ticket will add lustre to its appeal. If anything, it is the PPP that will damage Ms Harper’s credibility. The silence they have imposed on her is a mistake. Ms Harper’s qualities need to be on public display.
Having looked at the potential for the opposition coalition last week, some thoughts about the PPP’s prospects may be of interest. Facing the task of recovering lost support after 22 years in office, the PPP’s image badly needs to be enhanced with new faces like Ms Harper’s, however limited the possibilities may be.
In recent times there has been a large influx of a new generation of young PPP and Civic leaders into the government. Some of these include Ashni Singh, Robert Persaud, Frank Anthony, Priya Manickchand, Irfaan Ali, Bheri Ramsarran, Pauline Sukhai, Jennifer Webster, Jennifer Westford and Robeson Benn. Most of these are likely to again serve in a new
