Trotman doubts Ramjattan presidential candidacy

Recent statements by Mr. Raphael Trotman about Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan show that the AFC must really take a break from the public and settle some internal issues. If the party leadership attempts to solve its problems in the public eye, then this overseas dependent party is likely to run head-on into a concrete wall. And if that were to happen no one, not even like Henry Hartley, would be able to help the situation. In the event that you may have missed Mr. Trotman’s statements about Mr. Ramjattan, I will reproduce them here so that you may judge for yourself.
Before we get there we need to set the context. You will no doubt recall that, last April, the AFC rushed into some hastily called news conferences over leaks that the party was nearing break-up due to a leadership crisis and specifically because of issues regarding the presidential candidate.
Word had gotten out that many in the AFC did not want to honor the principle of leadership rotation where Mr. Ramjattan would become the presidential candidate, Ms. Holder the Prime Ministerial running mate, and Mr. Trotman, the vice Chair.
The AFC at that time insisted that Mr. Ramjattan would become the presidential candidate.
Since that time much has happened to cause careful observers to doubt the inevitability of a Ramjattan candidacy. Many would recall that Mr. Trotman was in meetings with the PNC and Mr. Hartley at the Pegasus without the presence of Mr. Ramjattan.
How could a major meeting with a political strategist occur without Mr. Ramjattan?  Since that time also, many observers have noticed that the two top men at the AFC have routinely disagreed about the role of partnerships with others. Ms. Holder seems to always be out of the picture, and out of the loop.
Ok – so let us now look at Mr. Trotman’s statements regarding a possible Ramjattan presidential candidacy. Here are some direct quotations:
“We would most likely be putting Mister [sic] Ramjattan up as presidential candidate [and] we would expect that if others are on board they would want to accept him”(Stabroek News, 10.13.10). That obviously means that all are not on board, or that if some are not on board that is quite ok.
“I don’t sense that within the AFC there is any disappointment of confusion, as in, ‘we are not where we thought we would be” (SN 10.13.10). This statement gives the impression that Trotman is not sure if there is disappointment and/or confusion. Contrary to his statement, Trotman could have said, ‘I assure that we truly want this.’
Stabroek News also reported that according to Trotman, “Ramjattan’s candidacy is not automatic” (SN 10.13.10). In this instance Mr. Trotman is openly calling into question the belief by many that the principle of rotation would be upheld. What is it that Mr. Trotman knows that would allow him to make such a statement?
Further regarding a Ramjattan candidacy, Trotman stated that “I don’t see it as something that is going to be OVERLY contentious” (SN, 10.13.10). Here, Mr. Trotman says that the Ramjattan nomination is contentious, albeit with the qualifier that it is not OVERLY contentious.
The statements by Mr. Trotman provide ample evidence that he may not necessarily be happy with or support leadership rotation, a principle that is supposedly sacred to the AFC. Long ago some commentators, this writer included, had warned that the AFC might end up in a dead end like the WPA because of their rotation thing.
If Mr. Trotman supports Mr. Ramjattan as the AFC’s presidential candidate, with Ms. Holder as the running mate, he should call a press conference and say so. Until he does that, his recent statements would have to be assumed as his real position.