PPP/C still to settle on Ramotar’s running mate

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is still discussing a possible Prime Ministerial Candidate to run alongside President Donald Ramotar when elections are

Minister within the Finance Ministry Juan Edghill

held next year.
This is according to party General Secretary Clement Rohee, who was speaking at a news conference on Monday. He said the party’s Executive Committee was still meeting to settle on the issue.

“I said before, as soon we are settled on it we will let the public know,” Rohee told Guyana Times.
Rohee had previously said the party’s Presidential Candidate and other pertinent issues were up for discussion recently, when the executives commenced talks on the country’s current political mood, and the possibility of a snap election.

He had also disclosed then that the committee has been discussing the issue of the Presidential Candidate, but from all indications, the situation will remain the same with President Donald Ramotar serving as the Presidential Candidate.

“The Central Committee started discussion on the matter and has agreed that it will bring it to finality as soon as possible. The issue is being discussed. President Ramotar obviously is the candidate for the time being until the Central Committee or the Executive Committees close off on the matter, there is one name there at the moment,” Rohee had told reporters.

Asked about the procedure used to select the Prime Ministerial Candidate, Rohee maintained that the Central and Executive Committees have always been involved in that process.

“That is the way it was done in the past and that is the way it is being done now.” While the party seems to have settled on its Presidential Candidate, it is still to announce the name of its Prime Ministerial Candidate since Prime Minister Samuel Hinds has opted out of another term. Hinds is considered the longest-serving Prime Minister within the region, holding the post since 1992.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds

Choices
Meanwhile, two PPP/C Members of Parliament (MP) and Ministers of Government have been floated as possible running mates to Ramotar. Rohee had indicated previously that the party’s long established principle is that the Prime Ministerial Candidate would be of African descent.

This would rule out any possibility of current Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, whose name has been mentioned as a possible selection.

Guyana Times understands too that junior Finance Minister Bishop Juan Edghill could also be in contention. While this newspaper was unable to contact Edghill, Rodrigues-Birkett has denied having any knowledge of such a plan.

“I don’t know…. We haven’t gotten to that level, things happen on a daily basis, those kinds of decisions are not the ones you make by yourself, you have to think about a lot of things… right now I am having a good time running the Foreign Ministry and I must say I have a team of very good people working here, and it is a real pleasure representing this country call Guyana,” Rodrigues-Birkett said.  She continued: “I have never sought anything else in all of my various portfolios.”