“I support the PPP/C” – Nadira Jagan

BY MICHAEL YOUNGE

The daughter of former Presidents Janet and Cheddi Jagan has expressed full support for the re-election of the Donald Ramotar Administration to office ahead of the 2015 General and Regional Elections which are billed for May 11.

Nadira Jagan-Brancier on Wednesday urged all Guyanese to go and vote for the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) party on Monday as she strongly refuted rumours that she was supporting the People’s National Congress (PNC)-led A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition.

“It seems that there have been rumours that the children of Cheddi and Janet Jagan are supporting the APNU+AFC coalition. I do not!” she remarked in a letter to the local media earlier this week.

It is now clear that whatever concerns the daughter of Cheddi and Janet Jagan had, it was assuaged and that those carrying the banner of the party her father and mother founded had her firm support.

The Opposition has also been telling PPP/C supporters that all of the children and family members of the two former Presidents are fully supportive of Moses Nagamootoo’s alliance for the PNC’s David Granger. But Nadira Jagan said “I am writing to let it be known that I support the People’s Progressive Party/Civic in the upcoming election of May 11, 2015 and urge everyone to go out and vote early on that day for the Cup”.

Nadira has been the driving force in the preservation of her parent’s legacy and played a key role in the archives of her father being stored at Red House. Since her parents’ death, she spends a considerable amount of time every year in Guyana, working on that project and others.

Nadira Jagan-Brancier’s declaration of support for the PPP/C at the May 11 General and Regional Election comes close on the heels of Joey Jagan, her older brother, throwing his hat into the ring for the Opposition PNC-led APNU+AFC coalition and is seen by most observers as clarifying that she was not associated with his move.

A letter from their mother, just before she passed away was also released which indicated that the matriarch of the family was very suspicious of her son’s political actions. She was very scathing of his reference to Forbes Burnham as his “Godfather”.

When he declared his support for the PNC-led APNU+AFC coalition, he once more alluded to this relationship which his mother denied. When Burnham ran for office, his sister Jessie issued a pamphlet, “Beware My Brother Forbes!”. The letter from Janet Jagan suggests that she had just as much an intimate knowledge of her son to write to the PPP: Beware my son Joey.

Her cousin, Dr Clive Jagan and a majority of his siblings have also endorsed the PPP/C and the re-election of the Donald Ramotar Administration. Joey was also known for his ill-fated and short lived Unity Party. Dr Clive Jagan, nephew of former President Dr Cheddi Jagan who was named on the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) List of Candidates, said the PPP/C has remained true to the philosophies of his late uncle in upholding his legacy and it is for this reason he has thrown his support behind the party.

In addition to applauding the party for upholding the principles of the late President, he said the PPP/C is the only party that can move the country forward. However, when questioned on whether he believes that the party may have strayed from Jagan’s core values, he responded strongly in the negative.

He explained that the PPP/C continues to uphold the fundamental pillars such as democracy, freedom of press and progress for the people.

“In terms of moving away from his principles, I really don’t agree with that because I’ve seen development, I’ve seen that presumptions are made that they are moving away but there has been no valid proof that can make the Opposition or anyone come out and say that the PPP has moved away. They still stand for the same policies, they still stand for progress, they still stand for democracy, for freedom of the press, everything is still going on…,” he said.

In responding to questions regarding the difference in the lifestyles of Government’s officials, party leaders and supporters from Jagan’s era to now, the relative said that while his uncle was a simple man, the two periods cannot be compared since things have changed drastically over the years. “He was a very simple man; I can tell you that, he was very simple. He had sheep in his yard to mow the lawns… but time has changed from then to now. People have changed, they have achieved more,” the nephew pointed out. The only member of the closely-knit – and sometimes very reserved and private Jagan family – who has thrown support behind the Opposition coalition, is Joey Jagan who is considered relatively unstable and opportunistic.