Dear Editor,
The Caribbean Court of Justice’s (CCJ) recent ruling that Jagdeo’s time is over has started the PPP looking for a new Presidential candidate. So far the following candidates have made their intentions public or otherwise had their names mentioned, namely Gail Teixeira, Anil Nandlall, Irfaan Ali, Frank Anthony, Charles Ramson Jnr and Vindhya Persaud.
Gail, Nandall, Irfaan and Frank were all previous ministers of the PPP/C-led government and it is their performance or lack thereof that has collectively resulted in the loss of confidence by the electors. It is the sitting President and his cabinet that must be held accountable for the success and failure of any government, hence the failure of the PPP/C to secure a majority in the 2011 election and to lose to the APNU coalition in the 2016 General Election is a direct failure by these former ministers . In any normal political party they would be replaced and not recycled. These former ministers also had a lot of negative baggage attributed to them during their tenure with some having overweight suitcases full of rapacious deeds while the others have carry-on and the hand pieces of unethical behaviour. This to my mind should disqualify the lot of this bunch of former ministers to be presidential candidates.
Charles Ramson Jnr is a relative newcomer and has to serve the Party for a more extended period before he can be seriously considered as a candidate. The last time the PPP went for an instant gratification candidate with hardly any service to the Party was a disaster. They should not make the same mistake twice.
Vindhya Persaud has never held any ministerial post in the PPP/C, is a long-serving Party member and can actually lay claim to being raised in the PPP since her late father was the charismatic Marxist Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud. She is also an outstanding spiritual leader and humanitarian with a demonstration of an extraordinary commitment to selfless public service. These are the qualities that we need in an individual that is not carried away by personal aggrandizement but by a philosophical outlook of selfless service to humanity. We have had a lot of spiritual leaders engaged in our political struggles that have earned the respect of all Guyanese such as Bishop George, Bishop Singh, Father Rodrigues etc and Ms Vindhya Persaud would fall into the same category.
There is also a wind of change that has started in the Caribbean with Madam Mia Mottley sweeping all the constituencies in Barbados. This change can also happen in Guyana.
The General Secretary of the PPP Mr Jagdeo has to stop fronting as an iconic leader of the party that can bring home the elections for the PPP. He has to buckle down to the real task of organizing the party and gear it towards the winning of the 2020 elections. He also should provide the space and exposure to the future presidential candidate Vindhya Persaud to be a household name by 2020.
Yours faithfully,
Reggie Bhagwandin
