The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) will decide on its presidential candidate for the 2020 polls after the upcoming local government elections, General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo says.
“It will be after local government elections because that is the view of the executive of the party,” Jagdeo told Sunday Stabroek.
The party had previously announced that the candidate would be known before the November 12th local government elections.
This newspaper was told that the party, however, wants to focus on countrywide campaigning for the upcoming polls and its executives believe that the selection of a presidential candidate at this time will distract from those works.
Jagdeo has said that he believes the person selected will gain the support of the majority of the 35-member Central Committee (CC).
With the expectation that there will be over five persons contesting for the position, concerns have been raised that a single round of balloting could lead to the absurdity that the candidate is chosen by a small number of CC members. Jagdeo said in response that once nominations are made and confirmed, voting arrangements will be finalised.
The PPP has said that voting for the presidential candidate would be done through the secret ballot system.
Some observers have suggested that in light of the possibility that the PPP process could see the presidential candidate determined by a small number of persons, there should be multiple rounds of voting among the nominees until only two remain.
Jagdeo explained that he could not detail a process since the nomination process would have to first be completed.
Former parliamentarian Charles Ramson Jr’s public declaration of his interest in being the party’s candidate has positioned him in the running alongside current executive Dr. Frank Anthony, former Attorney-General Anil Nandlall and Dr. Vindhya Persaud.
Former Minister of Housing and parliamentarian Irfaan Ali is also set to contest for the position.
More recently, and although not committing, PPP executive member Gail Teixeira has also signaled that she may seek to join the race.
While only Ramson has been vocal and public about his intentions the other expected nominees have been working across the country and have active social media accounts that highlights their work.
Jagdeo’s influence on the selection of the candidate has been under close scrutiny. He has already declared that he intends to be a part of the next PPP government, but sources within and close to the party believe that he is likely to also face resistance from both younger members who have their own support bases as well as the party’s old guard, with whom he has long had an uneasy relationship, including during his 12-year presidency.
