Next PPP/C gov’t will focus on continuity of national development trajectory
-Bharrat Jagdeo’s input essential to transitory mechanisms
PPP/C Presidential Candidate and Advisor, Mr. Donald Ramotar, M.P., is adamant that Guyana’s developmental trajectory will not be hindered or circumvented with the transfer of presidential responsibilities, because it is the entire PPP/C machinery that will be continuing to govern the nation so that the momentum of development, which has catalysed Guyana out of the “hole” of hopelessness, bankruptcy, and devastation – the Augean stables that it had inherited in 1992, should continue apace. Even more, Ramotar stressed that with the accelerating levels of growth being experienced in every sector in the nation, Guyana is poised for an unprecedented level of prosperity in the immediate future, because all the positive and enabling equations are now aligned with the vision of founder-leader, the iconic Dr. Cheddi Jagan, when he first envisaged the paradise into which Guyana could eventually be transformed.
According to Ramotar, it is a vision that has been encapsulated – and improved upon with new and emerging local and global challenges, in every successive PPP/C manifesto.  Ramotar is convinced that the culmination is well on the way to fructification, because the successes of every PPP/C administration is well-documented and open for all to see, even the myopic cynics.
However, he reiterated that this eventuality could only be completely achieved with all Guyanese joining forces together towards pursuit of the common good of peace, progress, and prosperity in the nation for the collective benefit of all.
He cited the recent struggle by the PPP/C to have the Claims and Objections period re-opened to include potential voters who would otherwise have been disenfranchised, and claimed that this is another example of the PPP being the sole champion of people’s rights in Guyana, saying that the PPP/C will continue to promote the rights of citizens at all costs.
Ramotar told the media at a press conference at Freedom House last Friday, “The figures show that this was something that was across the board in every region; you had people who were left off the list; our position was correct that they did not do it because they did not have the source documents at that point in time.
“I want to point out that the Alliance For Change (AFC) voted against the re-opening of the Claims and Objections period in Parliament, which very clearly shows that they wanted to disenfranchise more than 7000 persons who had qualified to be on the list… this was a deliberate attempt,    
He also noted that the People’s National Congress (PNC) was also “vociferous” in their opposition; however they were “much more clever” than the AFC in this case, as they voted in the National Assembly for re-opening of the registration. This seems to have been a clever ploy, given their subsequent pronouncements on the issue.
According to Ramotar, “The opposition disputed that (re-opening registration) with us, but I have seen in Region 4 (Demerara/Mahaica) about 1,600 persons so far who have been registered; they were also claiming that most of those persons left off of the list were supporters of the PPP, but in areas where they got votes traditionally – like South Georgetown, you got quite a number of people being registered as well.”
He reiterated that the PPP/C’s position on the issue was not partisan, but was rather rooted in the concern that persons be given the right to get on the list and exercise their franchise. He credited the party’s knowledge of the need for the exercise to its grounding with the masses and its consequential knowledge of the needs of the common man.
Noting that “We are not asking to re-open this again… but this would have been 7000 that would not have had the opportunity to cast their ballots.” Ramotar again stressed that the PPP/C looks after the needs of everyone and not just its support base, because the PPP has been grounded in concern for the welfare of all the Guyanese people – as one nation.
The iconic Dr. Cheddi Jagan had once drawn an analogy of several persons who were starving in a village attempting to ford a stormy river to a land of plenty that lay on the opposite bank.
As each person tried to cross the river alone the undertow drew each one underwater and they drowned.  The rest of persons decided to hold hands and ford the river, lending support each to the other; and so, as one went down the other pulled him up and thus all reached the land of plenty together.
Thus it is, reiterated Ramotar, that the PPP/C’s recent call for a re-opening of the Claims and Objections period was not from an insular position, but stemmed from a concern that no Guyanese should be disenfranchised.
According to the PPP stalwart, the party has struggled throughout its existence:  Indeed, it was the basis of the party’s formulation and foundation that all the people’s rights must be considered paramount; and integral to one’s constitutional rights – enshrined in Guyana’s constitution, is universal adult suffrage, which the Jagans and the PPP had fought for relentlessly against the colonials and other undemocratic forces, even subsequent to the grant of independent status to the nation by Britain.
In a previous interview with this newspaper, Ramotar had expressed satisfaction with the achievements of the current administration under the astute and dynamic guidance of Bharrat Jagdeo; and had optimistically predicted an even brighter future for Guyana, generally, and great prosperity for Guyanese – in individual equations.  This he attributed to the current dynamic administrative team, members of which have been fielded from across all the divides in the land – political, racial, religious, cultural; with an even broader projection of human resources that will form the future administrative team.
He also expressed complete faith and satisfaction in the performances of all the extremely young ministers whom he said have all performed superlatively within their respective portfolios and even out of the box of their given mandates, once their goals are in line with Government’s development trajectory.
He is adamant that the current President will play a major role in the new governmental construct, because President Jagdeo has created and driven many of the dynamics that have catapulted Guyana on the international radar, created the landscape to enable prosperity in the land, and brought dignity and respect to this nation once more.  As such, he will continue to be a vital player in Guyana’s developmental processes and paradigm.
While expressing his preference for early polls – notably before December- Ramotar said that GECOM will have to pronounce on when national elections will be held, after which President Bharrat Jagdeo will decide on the exact date.