CAN THE PPP BE SAVED?


The end of the Jagan leadership of the PPP terminated the era of real, as opposed to formal, internal democracy. Its structure and leadership model, third world and Leninist influenced, lent itself to authoritarian methods. But the Jagans ensured full discussions and neither dictated conclusions. Both changed their views from time to time after being persuaded by contrary opinion in discussions.

The symbol of that openness was that after a debate where opinion was divided, a vote was taken. However, after the Jagdeo leadership gained traction, voting after discussions ceased at his instance. Jagdeo summed up all discussions and the summing up, containing his views, was the decision. He still does so. Elections at and after Congress began to be grossly manipulated. Both Donald Ramotar and Bharrat Jagdeo publicly opposed the 2011 presidential candidate being elected by secret ballot.

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THE FALL OF THE PPP


The PPP’s boast has always been that it never lost elections. While it gained the highest votes in 1964, it was the PNC that was invited to form the government, which it did in coalition with the United Force. The slogan of ‘cheated not defeated’ resounded through the decades. The slogan is once again rearing its head. The claim that it lost as a result of fraud allows it to maintain the delusion, for the benefit of its supporters, that it has never lost elections. This also serves to protect its leaders and policies from critical analysis and corrective action and revive its historic claims to victimology, now of an openly posturing ethnic political entity, to sustain the sympathy of its innocent supporters against the tribal hordes.

The fall of the PPP, though a shock to its leaders and members, which will take some time for them to come to terms with, was a gradual process and commenced in 1997 with the passing of Cheddi Jagan. He was the only person within the PPP who kept alive the flame of national unity by way of a coalition, despite the triumphalism in 1992 and a deeply hostile PNC. When he passed in 1997, those forces in the PPP that opposed national unity by coalition, gained total control and the subject was never again discussed. It was no secret that Mrs. Jagan was a firm opponent of any political accommodation with the PNC.

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GUYANA HAS SPOKEN


I should like to take this opportunity to express my congratulations to the APNU+AFC alliance on its historic victory at the general and regional elections and to David Granger, Guyana’s new President. Most of Guyana, including civil society, many PPP supporters and spokespersons associated with or representing the Hindu cultural community, wish the new government success. We all look forward to measures to reduce poverty and corruption and for constitutional reform.

The results were close, as many observers had predicted, but the APNU+AFC alliance won the right to form the Government. A majority of the Guyana electorate supported APNU+AFC’s message, ‘It Is Time,’ which resonated with an electorate that had grown tired of what the PPP/C was offering, appeared to have little confidence in its promises, was not moved by its divisive message and voted for change.

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LET PEACE PREVAIL!


Guyanese will vote on Monday for a Government that they wish to conduct the affairs of the nation on their behalf for the next five years. Every registered Guyanese has the right to vote and this right must be protected and respected before and after it is exercised. If the majority of Guyanese collectively choose to return the PPP/C to office, despite the great disappointment this will cause among APNU+AFC supporters, this choice must be accepted peacefully. If Guyanese decide to change their Government and support the APNU+AFC coalition, whatever trepidation PPP/C supporters may feel, their Party having been in power for 22 plus years, Guyanese must equally accept the results peacefully.

Notwithstanding the criticisms that have been made of GECOM over the past few months, it is well positioned to deliver free and fair elections, as it has done since 1992. Criticisms of one kind or another have been made at every election time but foreign observers have unanimously, since 1992, confirmed that elections have been free and fair. Their presence, that of President Jimmy Carter, an enduring friend of Guyana, along with local observers, at these elections is welcome and lends confidence to a process that has been under suspicion only because of historical reasons.

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AXE THE DAX


In 1962 the slogan ‘axe the tax’ became well known in then British Guiana. The United Force adopted it in its campaign against a tax on beer in the Kaldor Budget and against the PPP Government. The campaign was the beginning of a successful three-year, multi-national effort, marked by tremendous violence and property damage, to remove the PPP from office.

 The PPP had justice on its side in 1962 but in terms of strategy and public relations, shot itself in the foot. Fifty years later, shooting itself in the foot has become an occupational hazard for the PPP and its Governments.

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