PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo at his weekly press briefing yesterday said that some 3,000 people are expected to participate in the party’s upcoming congress which is expected to be one of the largest to date.
The governing party’s 32nd Congress slated for the first week in May will be held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).
Jagdeo yesterday stated, “This party is growing and we have a congress and had an indication that over 3,000 people, delegates and observers may come to this congress, that is those who are registered now, over 3,000 delegates and observers, that’s about three times the size of any previous congress and they are coming from Region 10, from the hinterland, areas from Berbice, from Essequibo, every region in the country, large numbers.”
According to Jagdeo, an indication of such a large number justifies the “strength” of the PPP. “People see where we are going and we are working for all of our people”, he stressed.
Stabroek News had previously reported that according to sources as per the party’s traditional county rotation schedule, the Congress is set to be held in Demerara this time around. The last Congress, in 2017, was held in Anna Regina, Essequibo, and the one before that, in Coren-tyne, Berbice.
The last time the Con-gress was held in George-town was back in 1994 and it was under the stewardship of now-deceased President Cheddi Jagan. It was also Jagan’s last congress as he passed away shortly before the next one was held in 1997.
Sources had also said that ACCC was chosen to “comfortably accommodate” the large number of delegates, scheduled to attend this year as “the party’s membership has grown immensely since 2020.”
Contestants for executive positions “remain mostly unchanged,” sources said.
President Irfaan Ali had said that he will not be contesting for the position of General Secretary (GS) of the party, as he believes his current portfolio of responsibilities is more than enough.
“No! No! Nope! No way!” he had told this newspaper when asked if he would be contesting the post.
“That position requires a lot of work, time and dedication and I already have so much to do already…” he expressed.
The GS’ position is currently held by Jagdeo who said that he will know if he will contest based on what the delegates decide.
