Former PNCR parliamentarian Anthony Vieira, businessman Deodat Indar and attorney Sanjeev Datadin are among the new additions on the People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) lists of candidates for the March 2nd general elections.
The party’s General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo is the Representative of the List and led a throng of supporters to present the PPP/C’s lists of candidates to Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield at the Umana Yana on Nomination Day yesterday. As has been the case over the past months, Jagdeo overshadowed the PPP/C presidential candidate Irfaan Ali.
Ali is seeking the presidency even as 19 criminal fraud charges hang over his head. He is due to return to court in the coming weeks.
“Our list is a combination of young people and people with experience, people who have been involved in administration. So we think, overall, we have a list from which we can choose our future leaders and implement our development programmes,” Jagdeo told reporters as he waited his turn to enter the Umana Yana to submit the party’s list. As Representative of the List, Jagdeo has the power to recall any PPP/C Member of Parliament. For the 2015 general elections, the party’s presidential candidate Donald Ramotar was the list representative. Jagdeo’s taking of the role effectively cements his grip on the party.
In the 2015 elections, Ramotar had led the PPP/C’s contingent on Nomination Day even as Jagdeo had said that he would not be on the party’s list and had no interest in going into parliament. However, he was included on the list and after the PPP/C lost the elections, he moved to consolidate his grip on the party, becoming the Leader of the Opposition and the party’s General Secretary. Jagdeo’s occupation on the party’s list submitted yesterday was listed as ‘President’.
The PPP/C submitted a National Top Up List comprising 116 persons, which was notable for the inclusion of Vieira, Indar and Datadin. Also included was former Minister of Health Bheri Ramsaran, who was fired from the post just before the last elections by then President Ramotar after threatening to slap and strip a woman for which he was indicted in court.
Vieira, who has in the past been a fierce critic of the PPP/C, stood front and centre yesterday as the opposition party set off from its Freedom House headquarters to head to the Umana Yana. He told Stabroek News that he felt his expertise in broadcasting and sugar were not being used by the current administration. He also expressed disappointment at the manner in which the current government has been focusing on the agricultural sector.
“A lot of what they have been doing in agriculture I don’t agree with and I’ve written extensively about it. If you can give the [Guyana Defence Force] more money than sugar, well then…,” he lamented. Vieira was a Member of Parliament for the PNCR-1G before resigning and migrating to the United States in 2009. It is not clear when he returned to Guyana and the question of whether he has dual citizenship is likely to be raised.
Meanwhile, Indar, who is the immediate past President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), told Stabroek News that he was attracted to the PPP/C because of their track record. According to him, the PPP/C has a record of good macroeconomics, which is much to his liking.
“The PPP is reenergised under the leadership of Dr Bharrat Jagdeo,” he said, before adding that the party has a mix of youth and experience which can take Guyana forward. “They have been on the ground and in every community in this country and have seen what people want and they have come back and put that in their plans to develop Guyana. I have seen their plan and it is one I am happy about,” Indar said.
Blueprint
He further said that he believes that the blueprint the party has for the oil and gas sector is one that addresses the concerns of many. According to the businessman, some of those concerns were raised by members of the GCCI under his leadership. He noted that while there was always an option to be a part of the party, he only gave serious thought to it recently before he made a decision.
For his part, Datadin told Stabroek News that much consideration were given to his decision in joining the PPP/C. Datadin had worked closely with former Attorney General Anil Nandall on the legal proceedings in the courts on the December 21, 2018 no-confidence motion that has led to the upcoming elections after a protracted legal battle. The attorney said it was during this time that an invitation was extended to him by the party.
“I have always been a person on the sidelines of politics but after the no-confidence motion, I think to myself that I cannot sit on the sidelines and let these things continue. I realise that if you want to change the way things are being done you have to be a part of a system of politics. So I am here,” he said.
He added that he believes with the PPP/C’s leadership and candidacy, there can be positive changes in the country.
There were a few other new faces on the list including former head of the Vector Control Unit at the Ministry of Public Health Dr Reyaud Rahaman and Elizabeth Alleyne. It was largely comprised of party stalwarts and, unlike the last elections, there were a notable drop in the number of children of PPP/C officials included in the National Top-Up List.
PPP stalwart Gail Teixeira is on the party’s list and Jagdeo disclosed that she has renounced her Canadian citizenship. Teixeira was one of the parliamentarians who was forced to resign last year after the court ruled that it was illegal for persons with dual citizenship to sit as a Member of Parliament.
Meanwhile, Jagdeo said that the party is very confident in the persons who are a part of the list and should they be elected into office on March 2nd, those persons will be able to lead and execute the party’s list of programmes.
“On our top-up list, it is a lot of new faces, young, bright people who can lead; we believe in young people. We have a young presidential candidate, young ministers, young MPs, young leaders of the party. We believe and live that way. This fossilized old bunch cannot do anything for young people,” said Jagdeo, who will be 55 years old in the next two weeks.
Ali echoed that his party diligently worked to put together a list that “embodies competence, experience, youth, energy, commitment.” He stated that such qualities are fundamental to take the country forward.
Prime ministerial candidate Mark Phillips expressed his elation at being a part of the process. “We have a winning list we are going with. The energy is high and we are going to be victorious. I am elated and ready for victory, “Philips told reporters as he waited with party members outside of the Umana Yana yesterday.
Phillips added that he took up the mantle to be the party’s prime ministerial candidate because he felt that it was time for him to again serve the country.
“That was easy, after three years of relaxation, it is time to get back to work. Time to get back to serve the people of Guyana again…” he expressed.
Convicted
According to Jagdeo, the chances of his party winning the upcoming elections are great “but the PPP has never been an arrogant party. We continue to work hard on the ground and there is no doubt about that victory…”
He said that it is evident that sections of the electorate are “fed-up” with the David Granger-led administration.
“Everyone is fed-up of this government, it is easy thing to get people to join our list. We had tonnes of people who wanted to come on the list but we couldn’t have accommodate them. Everyone in this country wants a change. They thought they had a change in 2015 but now they want real change where they can return to development,” Jagdeo said.
The former president rushed to Ali’s aid when asked what would happen if he is convicted on the 19 charges he currently faces in court. Before Ali could answer, Jagdeo questioned what is the APNU+AFC’s Plan B should something happen to their leader.
“I don’t know but what is APNU’s Plan B if [President David Granger] gets a relapse, if he gets a relapse and can’t continue the elections. Today is not a day for that, it is not a day for that and we will, we will deal with it at that point in time but we [will] win the elections with Irfaan Ali as the presidential candidate…,” Jagdeo said.
He also called on the Guyana Elections Commission to get lawmen involved in any case where it is evident that forgery on any list has been committed.
He noted that such actions carry serious consequences and if it is not addressed now, it would encourage parties to commit fraud at future elections. “Strong action must be taken against anyone who fraudulently puts their name on the list of candidates,” Jagdeo said.
