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Former Member

Minister Ramsammy unlikely to continue – Luncheon

March 5, 2015 | By | Filed Under News 
 

Two months before early general elections to choose a new government, the incumbent People’s Progressive

Out of it? – Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

Out of it? – Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

Party/Civic (PPP/C) may well have to do without one of its most seasoned campaigners…Dr. Leslie Ramsammy.
The Minister of Agriculture, said to be in his late 60’s, is ailing and currently receiving treatment overseas which will ultimately determine whether he continues in the political arena.
Responding to questions from Kaieteur News yesterday during his post-Cabinet press briefing, Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, confirmed that Ramsammy has been on leave for over three weeks now.
A former Health Minister, Ramsammy informed Office of the President that he is ill and is headed to the US because of heart problems.
Ramsammy has for years now been suffering from cardiac difficulties and was forced to conduct a triple bypass surgery.
While Ramsammy has not informed the Government that he is quitting, it would appear that the PPP/C has concluded that the existing health situation will have an impact on his return to full duties.
As Minister of Agriculture, Ramsammy has responsibilities for the all-important rice and sugar sectors; the latter is facing severe problems amidst falling production and price on the world market.
Dr. Luncheon admitted that there are rumors circulating of the Minister quitting because of health problems.
Following the 2011 elections, President Donald Ramotar surprisingly named Ramsammy as his new Agriculture Minister, replacing Robert Persaud, who was made Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, an entirely new ministry.
He first entered the political contest in 1992 as the Presidential Candidate for the United Republican Party (URP). He later joined the PPP/C Civic in 1997.
During his tenure first as the Health Minister and then in the Agriculture Ministry, Ramsammy was dogged by reports of him transacting the purchase of a cell phone intercepting “spy laptop” for use by US-convicted drug lord, Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan.
Ramsammy also headed the Health Ministry at a time when New GPC, a company that has close relations with former President Bharrat Jagdeo, started to receive billions of dollars in pharmaceutical contracts under questionable circumstances.

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It's a pity Guyanese politicians and ex-ministers don't write memoirs as their American, British or Canadian counterparts do.

If Dr Leslie Ramsammy were to write a candid memoir, he would surely explain how Dr Cheddi Jagan invited him into the PPP government because of his decency and exemplary conduct as URP leader.

Then, he would be expected to explain how Bharrat Jagdeo twisted his mind and got him to perform foul deeds, like signing the letter of authorization for Roger Khan to purchase spy equipment in Florida and lying through his teeth afterwards.

Maybe, in his sunset years, Dr Ramsammy has a few regrets and wants no part in future PPP skullduggery. I am prepared to commiserate with him.

FM
Originally Posted by Vish M:

Leslie is and will continue to be a decent gentleman

If yuh don't Believe Vishnu....Ask Roger Khan....

Leslie played a major role in the Drug Industry in Guyana.

Nuff Traffic & Trafficing.... It was a Universal Business.

FM
Originally Posted by Vish M:

       

Leslie is and will continue to be a decent gentleman


       
What's so decent about someone who was working with a drug baron to murder citizens of his country while he was the Minister of Health?
Mars
Originally Posted by Vish M:

Leslie is and will continue to be a decent gentleman

 

Says the person who is into "for profit" community service and participates in kickback scams of public funds. Of course you would think Leslie is a decent "gentleman"

FM

James Sanders’ Very Politically Well-Timed Member Item

Written by Chris Bragg on August 6, 2012. Posted in Blog, Campaigns/Elections.




 

In a pretty amazing video shot on Friday evening by the Politicker, Queens Councilman James Sanders gave an animated pitch to a south Asian Democratic club in Richmond Hill, seeking votes for his state Senate race from a community that has often felt ignored by politicians.

During the 20-minute campaign speech, Sanders, who is running against Democratic State Sen. Shirley Huntley, singled out one person in the large audience.

“I have such great friends in the audience here. There are so many. And if you start naming names you’re going to get in trouble. So I’m not going to point out my brother Vishnu Mahadeo back there,” Sanders said comically. “I won’t name him.”

Mahadeo is executive director of the Richmond Hill Economic Development Council, a business development organization. In this year’s budget, Sanders gave the group a $5,000 member item, which was meant to promote an immigrant voter registration drive – even though Richmond Hill, where the organization is based, is not in Sanders’ City Council district.

But a number of those voters, in Richmond Hill, are in the new state Senate district where Sanders is challenging Huntley. And that’s where Sanders was on Friday evening, when he officially got the endorsement of the Richmond Hill Democratic Club.

Reached by phone this afternoon, Sanders insisted that the taxpayer-funded grant was not in any way meant to help his electoral prospects through the registration of potentially supportive voters.

“I think that organizations that register voters are a very good thing,” Sanders said. “I think you guys are reading too much into this. That would really be reading the tea leaves.”

The New York City Council budget was finalized in late June, months after Sanders made clear his plans to run for Senate. This member item is listed on the Council’s website as still “pending.”

Sanders said that the Richmond Hill Economic Development Council would register voters in Sanders’ Council district as well as the Senate district. He also noted that he had given money to organizations trying to register Orthodox Jewish voters in past years.

Reached by phone, Mahadeo said no other lawmaker had funded his organization’s voter registration efforts. He called the funding from Sanders “unprecedented.”

But Mahadeo said both he and his organization were staying neutral in the Senate race.

“We don’t get involved with candidates,” Mahadeo added. “And we are not just focusing on the South Asian community.”

Update: It’s also worth noting that Mahadeo gave Sanders a $4,000 campaign donation in April. So it would seem that Mahadeo is personally supporting Sanders.

FM

Salty Daag takes $5,000 in corrupt public funds and kicks back $4,000 to Senator Sanders. And is now employed by Senator Sanders. Now he declares Leslie Ramsammy a "decent" "gentleman"

 

Makes perfect sense.

FM

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