FORMER Member of Parliament for the PNCR Joseph Hamilton came out in strong support for the election of Donald Ramotar as President when he spoke at the PPP/C campaign commencement rally held at Albion on Sunday.
Media reports some months ago linked Hamilton with a move to the PPP. Hamilton was one of the persons who fell away from the PNCR after internal wrangling for power ensued there.
“I have committed myself to work to have Donald Ramotar elected as the next President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. And therefore, my commitment to him and the PPP/C is that I will be campaigning throughout the length and breadth of this country to ensure that this happens when elections take place,” he said, speaking at Sunday’s rally.
He said that now that elections fever is on “there are many who would want you to believe that this election is about race. I am here to say this afternoon that it is not about race. It is about who has a programme and about who does not have any programme at all.”
“In the next couple of weeks, three men will present themselves to you. One of course is Khemraj Ramjattan of the Alliance For Change. My analysis of Mr. Ramjattan is that he is a man who is prosecuting his politics with too much hatred and envy and enmity and malice, and such a person is not fit to be President of Guyana,” Hamilton charged.
Turning his attention to A Partnership for National Unity’s presidential candidate, Hamilton said, “I say to you as a politician, any man or woman at the age of 65 who just wakes up and wants to become a politician is incapable of leading any political entity, because politics is about fire in yuh belly. It’s about politics in your veins. So you don’t just wake up at 65. You would be incapable to energise people.”
“There is no inspiration and there could be no inspiration because Mr. Granger is a reluctant politician,” Hamilton said. “Of the three persons who are presenting themselves, the only man who has the political experience to lead, the only man who is capable of building this nation and taking it forward is Mr. Donald Ramotar. And therefore the man you elect President of Guyana come election day is Donald Ramotar of the PPP/C,” the former PNCR member said.
He urged persons to look beyond race to base their support but to embrace the candidate that has the best programmes for their children and for generations to come.
“The reality is that the only party that is structurally sound enough to govern is the PPP/C,” Hamilton posited. “They are incapable of putting together a campaign to win power. You don’t win power just by talking about winning power. You have to be able to put a campaign together,” he said.
“You must commit yourselves to encourage your neighbours, your friends, and your family that come elections day you will vote solidly for the PPP/C and for Donald Ramotar to be elected President of Guyana,” he declared.