The Demerara County Conference of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C), held on Sunday, April 10th, gave unanimous support to Donald Ramotar as that party’s presidential candidate.
PPP/C presidential candidate Donald Ramotar received a grand welcome ahead of the party’s Demerara County Conference on April 10. Also in picture is Parliamentarian Cyril Belgrave (at left of picture)
The event, held at the Diamond Secondary School, East Bank Demerara, is the second of three conferences planned with the aim of garnering supporters’ views on the central committee’s decision regarding the presidential candidate.
The reception Ramotar received in Essequibo Coast, Region Two, was outdone at Diamond, EBD on Sunday, as tassa drummers met him at the entrance of the conference hall and escorted him to his seat while supporters who filled the school to capacity stood in celebration.
This grand entrance was followed by that of President Jagdeo, who attracted no less a reaction.
In his address, President Jagdeo charged party supporters to convert opposition followers in their quest for a “bigger victory” at the upcoming general and regional elections.
“This is not time for passive support. It’s not a time when we could support Donald Ramotar and go back home and sleep… We need to know what we are about,” an enthusiastic Jagdeo told members.
He said it was important that all party members familiarise themselves with the party’s vision and struggles, and adopt an aggressive approach in winning new supporters.
Jagdeo also emphasised that some young people in Guyana are ignorant of the past, and as such may be taking things for granted.
President Jagdeo pointed out that the PPP/C with Ramotar as president: “We’re going full blast … down a path that will lead to every one of our kids having world-class education, a good healthcare, and access to services.”
Addressing the issue of the opposition running mates, Jagdeo told supporters that the retired brigadier general was a major political actor during the era of prolonged Guyanese suffering.
According to Jagdeo, the move by Alliance For Change candidate Khemraj Ramjattan to block the release of funds under the Guyana/Norway forest deal is “ignorant”.
A section of the audience at the PPP/C Demerara County Conference on April 10
Ramjattan had said he and the AFC had no information on the projects to be implemented under the LCDS and to be financed by payments made by Norway to Guyana under the historic agreement concluded between the two countries on forest-based climate services. However, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, in response to that allegation, said that the national budgets for 2010 and 2011 both included details of projects to be implemented under the programme. Ramotar, an economist by training, was unanimously identified as presidential candidate of the PPP/C by its central committee after the three other contenders withdrew from the process on April 04th.
