PPP Presidential Candidate to be chosen within months by secret ballot
Mr. Jagdeo told a media conference yesterday that the vote for the party’s Presidential Candidate will be by secret ballot and is expected to be done by the party’s Central Committee.
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has announced that the People’s Progressive Party will be choosing its Presidential Candidate for the 2020 general elections, before local government elections this year.
Local government elections are likely to take place by November of this year.
Mr. Jagdeo told a media conference yesterday that the vote for the party’s Presidential Candidate will be by secret ballot and is expected to be done by the party’s Central Committee.
He has warned potential candidates against making disparaging remarks of others who might be interested in the position.
“I urge all of the party members and those who are canvasing not to disparage anyone else. Because at the end of the day, what will happen, is not all of these people will rally around the person we chose and we move on to win the election”, Jagdeo said.
Mr. Jagdeo is prevented from running for President again as the Constitution bars anyone who would have served two elected terms as President from seeking a third term.
Legal minds have also pointed out that he also cannot be his party’s Prime Ministerial candidate, since anyone serving in that position would have to be eligible to be President.
So far, only party junior member and former Member of Parliament, Charles Ramson Jr. has publicly announced his candidacy for the party’s presidential candidate position.
Behind the scenes, a number of former government ministers under the PPP, including Anil Nandlall, Irfaan Ali and Frank Anthony, have been expressing an interest to lead the PPP into the next elections.
But Former Presidents Donald Ramotar and Sam Hinds are both eligible to run for President.
Ramotar has only served one term as elected President and Hinds was never elected to the Presidency, but served as President for a few months, following the death of Dr. Cheddi Jagan.
