The process to select the presidential candidate for the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic has started, and two of the hopefuls have already made their respective cases before the executive committee of that party. At a meeting held on February 14 at the Office of the President, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee and Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran, each presented their respective vision for the party and government.
Party General Secretary Donald Ramotar told Guyana Times International that the process got off to a good start. “We are now going to continue, but we haven’t set ourselves any timelines…” he added.
Ralph Ramkarran
He refused to say when the other hopefuls would be making their presentations, but
Donald Ramotar
reiterated that “we will be meeting continuously.” In an earlier interview with this publication, Ramkarran had said his immediate goals, as president of Guyana, would be to attack extreme poverty, crime and corruption in the country.
The senior counsel said that although some work has been done to combat these ills over the last 18 years, a ” tremendous” amount of work was still needed. The next two persons to make their presentations are Ramotar and Presidential Adviser on Governance, Gail Teixeira. It is unclear whether the fifth hopeful, Moses Nagamootoo, would be making any presentation.
Last year, the PPP had decided to stick to its old process of selection, which allows for nomination of interested individuals who have indicated their desire to be considered for the position, deliberations at the level of the executive committee, and subsequent approval by the central committee. The name of the approved candidate would then be announced to the membership through regional conferences.
Clement Rohee
Guyana Times International understands that the real discussions will take place after all of the candidates would have made their presentations.
There was some disenchantment with this process, as some nominees, namely Ramkarran and Nagamootoo, had favoured the system of secret balloting instead.
The secret ballot is a method of voting by which a voter’s choices in an election or a referendum is confidential.
The key aim in this process is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter through intimidation or bribery.
But President Jagdeo, when asked for his opinion on secret balloting earlier this year, said there was a danger in secret balloting.
” We have always been worried that people can promise others things to get them to vote for them … it will lead to something we don’t tolerate in the PPP.” The current process was used in the selection of the late Dr Cheddi Jagan, Mrs Janet Jagan, and serving president, Bharrat Jagdeo, to contest previous general elections.
The agreed document outlines a code of conduct which potential presidential candidates and their supporters must adhere to before and after the presidential candidate has been selected.
