Dear Editor,
Please allow me space in your letter column to respond to a letter by Aubrey Reteymer with the caption, “Jagdeo has taken over leadership in Guyana from President Ali”, that was published in the Kaieteur News on September 8, 2023.

It has become an obvious strategy by the PNC and their apologists to try to create a perception as though there is conflict between the leadership of the PPP, particularly between the President and Vice President. The notion that Jagdeo has taken over the leadership of Guyana is a false premise, and those who work closely with the administration will know this. The PPP/C is one of the most transparent political parties in this country.

Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo’s role in government and his portfolio have been clearly defined by the President himself, wherein he has the responsibility for the economy, oil and gas and the environment. This is his role in government, and he also has a role to play as General Secretary of his party. President Ali is very smart to utilize Dr. Jagdeo as his Vice President, because of his obvious vast wealth of knowledge, experience, and competence in government, serving as Minister of Finance, and President of this country. He also demonstrates his respect for the Presidency.

If there was ever any President who was not in control of his government, that would be former President Granger. And this can be easily proven. In Granger’s entire presidency, he never took impromptu questions; all of his press conferences were controlled. Whenever media asked him hard questions on the sideline, he always had to consult with his advisors. He has never made a Presidential decision on the spot in public. Contrast this with President Ali; he does not need a script to read from, he speaks passionately from his heart, he takes impromptu questions, hard questions, and he has made many Presidential decisions on the spot, in the public. I’ve never heard him say, I have to consult with anyone, and these are the facts. Of course, the Vice President’s role, is to assist the President and this is clearly defined in the Guyana Constitution.

Having said that, for too long the PNC and government critics alike have heaped the blame for everything under the sun that went wrong on Bharrat Jagdeo. For instance, the author claimed that Jagdeo controlled Donald Ramotar. Well, I beg to differ, because if he really did, the PPP would not have become a minority government in 2011 and would not have lost the 2015 elections. It was Jagdeo that came back after he took a hands-off approach from the party when he left office as President to rebuild the PPP and lead the party to victory in 2020, and ultimately back into government. These are the hard truths. The PNC and its likes need to stop blaming Jagdeo for everything under the sun.

Regards,
Avinash Persaud