Low vote-getters elevated to PPP’s key decision-making body

Last Updated on Wednesday, 8 May 2024, 17:18 by Writer

At least four low vote-getters at the People’s Progressive Party’s congress held last weekend, who mustered sufficient support to elect them to the broader Central Committee, were Tuesday elevated to that political organisation’s third highest decision-making body, the Executive Committee.

The four elected by the Central Committee to sit on the 15-member Executive Committee are Dr Vindhya Persaud, ranked 21st, Donald Ramotar, 26th, Clement Rohee, 34th, and Dharamkumar Seeraj, 29th.

Mr Nigel Dharamlall, 6th, who was forced to resign from the post of Minister of Local Government, due to an allegation of sexual misconduct, was among those voted into the Executive Committee. PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo is on record as having described Mr Dharamlall as a “good minister” and a “great asset.”

Dr Persaud is well-known in the Hindu community and for her social welfare activism. Mr Ramotar is a former President of Guyana and former PPP General Secretary with a wealth of institutional knowledge. Mr Rohee is a PPP representative on the Guyana Elections Commission and Mr Seeraj, President of the Rice Producers Association, is regarded as having wide grassroots contact in the rice sector.

Although Kwame Mc Coy secured the 8th spot, Anand Persaud, 15th, and Ricky Ramraj, 12th, they were elected as candidates or non-voting members of the Executive Council should there be need for a replacement of any of the substantive members.

In 2008, when then Central Committee members Dr Frank Anthony and Moses Nagamootoo had earned the 3rd and 5th highest number of votes, respectively, they had been excluded from the Executive Committee.

The full members of the PPP’s Executive Committee are Dr. Irfaan Ali, Zulfikar Mustapha, Anil Nandlall, Dr. Frank Anthony, Vickram Bharrat, Collin Croal, Nigel Dharamlall, Neil Kumar, Shyam Nokta, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, Donald Ramotar, Clement Rohee, Dharamkumar Seeraj, Pauline Sukhai, and Gail Teixeira.

Mr Mustapha was re-elected as Executive Secretary and Dr. Irfaan Ali as the Finance Secretary. The other Secretaries will be elected at the next Central Committee meeting, the PPP said in a statement.

Mr Jagdeo was unanimously returned as General Secretary.

While the PPP Congress voted to scratch out Marxism-Leninism and socialism from its constitution on the grounds that it is no longer relevant, it retained democratic centralism, a Leninist approach in which decisions are made centrally and are binding on all members.

The PPP’s constitution states that the Central Committee decides who should be elected. “Elections shall be on the basis of a critical evaluation of the work of the members proposed for office by the electing body which may accept recommendations and guidance from the Central Committee as to an assessment of the work of the members,” the constitution states.