Ramkarran accuses Jagdeo of hypocrisy –says former President is epitome of arrogance, fostered complacency
FORMER Speaker of the House and former PPP Executive member, Ralph Ramkarran, has accused Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo of hypocrisy, and has contended that the now Opposition Leader has no justification to talk about “arrogance” and “complacency” in the PPP.At his end-of-year press briefing, the former president had said “there was a severe disconnect between the party and its supporters on the ground”, and he had this was responsible for the APNU and AFC “gaining footholds among PPP supporters”.
Former PPP Executive member Ralph Ramkarran
Mr Jagdeo had attributed this state of affairs to the PPP’s “complacency” and “arrogance”, and had vowed to work hard to strengthen the party by going “house to house to people right across this country and rebuilding a connection between them and the party”.
He had also spoken about the youth being enticed by the coalition because they lacked knowledge of the PNC’s past, and he had said there was need for the party to work “vigorously to incubate a new generation of youthful leaders”.
But writing in his weekly column, “Conversation Tree”, Mr Ramkarran pointed out that it was Jagdeo who had single-mindedly supported Mr Donald Ramotar as the PPP/C presidential candidate in 2011 in an act that was the epitome of the “worst displays of contempt and political arrogance in Guyana’s political history”.
“The compelling obsession to continue to exercise governmental authority and control was the sole motivating factor. The PPP leadership, in thrall to Mr Jagdeo, mistakenly felt that its supporters would accept anything thrown at them. It is not that the PPP leadership did not know, or could not have known, what were the possible consequences of its decision,” Ramkarran said.
According to the former Speaker, during 2010, he was in New Amsterdam to attend to a matter in the New Amsterdam High Court, but met with Messrs Zulfikar Mustapha, then Regional Chairman, and Faizal Jaffarally, an adviser — the two main PPP operatives in Berbice.
The purpose of the meeting was to solicit the support of two influential local leaders in the PPP’s heartland of Berbice for his campaign for the nomination. But they both told him that they would support him only if there was a secret ballot, as in that way Mr Jagdeo would not know whom they had supported.
The senior PPP operatives also used the opportunity to inform Mr Ramkarran that if Mr Ramotar, who had already been in semi-official campaign mode, were chosen, they would have great difficulty in mobilising PPP supporters to turn out to vote.
OVERPOWERING
“The leadership was unaware of this dire possibility because the arrogance at the top was so overpowering that Messrs Mustapha and Jaffarally, and many others of the same view, dared not express their fears.
Just as Mustapha and Jaffarally predicted, thousands of Berbicians and others stayed home, and the PPP lost its majority in 2011 and in the elections in 2015.
“The entire problem of arrogance arose because of the leadership’s belief that it knew what was best; failed to advance and develop party democracy; abused and threatened all those who raised questions; and felt that the PPP would rule forever.
“The party metamorphosed into an instrument for accumulation, which became progressively worse. Disgusted and silenced, party stalwarts, young and old, dropped out.
“Arrogance led to the belief that these developments would not be noticed by supporters, or that junior leaders would not mimic the behaviour of senior leaders,” Ramkarran contended.
Mr Ramkarran has posited that, in order to repair the PPP, reforms have to start at the top. He said
Mr Jagdeo has repeatedly mentioned the need to motivate young people and to encourage young leaders in the PPP.
TRUST
“But what about Frank Anthony, Anil Nandlall, Irfan Ally, Priya Manickchand, Dharamkumar Seeraj, Pauline Sukhai, Neil Kumar; and rising ones such as Charles Ramson (Jr), Nigel Dharamlall, Collin Croal, and others? Is it that Mr Jagdeo doesn’t trust them because some of these ‘young’ leaders and a few ‘old’ ones disapproved (of) his election as Leader of the Opposition?” Ramkarran asks?
The former House Speaker pointed out that young people are being wildly motivated by politicians like Jeremy Corbyn, 66, of the UK and Bernie Sanders, 74, of the US, whom Mr Jagdeo would refer to as ‘very old’ (as he did to President Granger) or “fossils”.
Ramkarran contends that these leaders are inspiring young people by progressive policies, democratic behaviour and humility.
“We have to wait and see whether blood will flow at and after the PPP Congress later this year, and if the unwanted ‘young’ and ‘old’ leaders will be made to move on.
“Both Mr Ramotar and Mr Rohee are over 65, and ‘old’ in Mr Jagdeo’s eyes. The problem for Mr Jagdeo is that these same ‘old’ leaders have helped him to influence the post-Congress vote for the male- dominated Executive Committee in recent years, so that ‘undesirable elements’ like the popular Hydar Ally and Indra Chandarpal, or the ambitious but hitherto out of favour Anil Nandlall do not sneak in,” Mr Ramkarran said.
He added: “Publicly contradicted by Mr Jagdeo, Mr Rohee, now chief cook and bottle washer, must be struggling with humiliation. It is not known if Mr Donald Ramotar will be invited this time around, and would be still willing to toe the Jagdeo line. He is struggling hard to recover from the shame of losing the elections, and is still bitter from being unceremoniously dumped by his mentor, Mr Jagdeo, in the choice of Leader of the Opposition.”
He pointed out that Dr Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan bequeathed a thriving, humming and democratic party in office, but for its loss, Mr Jagdeo is blaming everyone, except himself and his choice of presidential candidate.
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