Zulfikar Mustapha debunks Ramkarrans article as “mischievous”

Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 January 2016, 8:00 by Denis Chabrol

People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Parliamentarian Zulfikar Mustapha has debunked a column written by Former Speaker Ralph Ramkarran as mischievous.

Ramkarran in his January 16, 2016 post on www.conversationtree.gy stated that he with Mustapha and Faisal Jafarally in 2011 to rally their support for his nomination as the PPP’s presidential candidate.

He stated that the two men expressed the view that Former President of Guyana, Donald Ramotar had been already in semi-campaign mode and his candidacy would not have yielded the desired turnout by Berbicians at the polls.

While Mustapha on Monday confirmed that Ramkarran had lobbied him for his presidential bid at an informal meeting, he denied that Ramotar’s name had been mentioned.

“I wish to confirm that myself and another friend went to NCN (National Communications Network) and not State House as Mr. Ramkarran claims…There was no formal meeting as Mr. Ramkarran claims,” he stated.

According to the Parliamentarian during the conversation that ensued there was no mention of Ramotar.”The article is mischievous, intended to create friction and with this article Mr Ramkarran wants to remain relevant,” he noted.

Ramkarran is a former PPP stalwart who left the party in June 2012 due to concerns about how several executive members had reacted to his concerns about alleged corruption by a number of party members.

The former House Speaker has blamed former President Bharrat Jagdeo for muscling himself and his favourites in the PPP’s leadership to decide against certain young and elderly but influential party members to be sidelined.