Conversation Tree

A POLITICAL PHENOMENON IS SWEEPING NEW YORK – ZOHRAN MAMDANI

Zohran Mamdani is a 33-year-old democratic socialist, who contested primary elections of the Democratic Party in New York for election as the candidate for Mayor. He won resoundingly, obtaining 56 percent of the vote to Andrew Cuomo’s 44 percent. Mamdani initially had no name recognition, and he was polling 1 percent. Cuomo, widely known and a former Governor of New York State, from which position he resigned in 2021 on allegations of sexual harassment of female staff, which he denied, was regarded as the presumptive nominee. He is to decide whether he will run as an independent candidate. He certainly has the resources, having been backed by at several billionaires across the political spectrum.

JAGAN’S DREAM OF A NATIONAL FRONT GOVERNMENT

In a letter to the Stabroek News on June 28, 2025, Dr. Narayan Persaud Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, made the preposterous claim that “Guyanese can objectively observe for themselves that the current PPP/C administration exemplifies the essence of a National Front Government.” Dr. Persaud was not talking about any national front government. He was talking about Dr. Jagan’s conception of a National Patriotic Front Government (NPFG). His letter is headlined: “Current PPP/C administration realizes Dr. Jagan’s dream of a National Front Government.” In describing Dr. Jagan’s ideas, Dr. Persaud said: “In sum, as Dr. Jagan envisioned, the NFG would be a coalition government constituted of all progressive political parties. Dr. Jagan believed that such governmental formation would result in the creation of a racially mixed political structure with equal representation and distribution of power.” This is not quite what Dr. Jagan “envisioned.”

IRAN’S NEXT MOVES

It could be true, as some observers have claimed, that Iran decided to enrich uranium from 3.67 percent to its current 60 percent, which is in compliance with IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) protocols, not for the purpose of building a nuclear bomb, but to have a stronger hand in any future negotiations after President Trump, during his first term, withdrew from the JCPOA, (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) and authorized the assassination of Quasem Solemani, an Iranian major general and head of Iran’s Quds Force. The JCPOA, signed in 2015 under the Presidency of Barack Obama, was an agreement between Iran, US and several other countries that placed restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme by: (a) intrusive inspections by the IAEA; and (b) limiting the enrichment of uranium to a maximum of 3.67 percent.

ISRAEL’S WAR OF AGGRESSION AGAINST IRAN

Under the cover of diplomatic negotiations between Iran and the United States, Israel launched 200 fighter jets against Iran on June 13 targeting, but not limited to, facilities linked to Iran’s nuclear programme. Senior members of Iran’s military leadership and nuclear scientists were assassinated. At the time of writing 420 persons have been killed in Iran and 29 in Israel. Israel has indicated that the war is not going to end anytime soon as its objective is the destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities and its capacity to enrich uranium. Iran has responded with scores, if not hundreds, of drones and missiles, many of which have penetrated Israel’s much vaunted air defence systems. The cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa have suffered severe damage including, it is believed, buildings relating to Israel’s military and intelligence agencies.

CAN INDIVIDUALS STAND FOR ELECTIONS AS INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES IN GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES?

This question that forms the headline of this article is before the Chief Justice in the case of Christopher Ram v The Attorney General and the decision is due to be given on June 26. Ram is asking the Court for an order that an individual can stand for elections to the National Assembly as an independent candidate in a geographical constituency, and several related orders. The popular notion is that a candidate for elections for a geographical constituency, or otherwise, is only eligible if he or she is on a list of candidates.