The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) will be holding its Congress in the last quarter of this year, according to its General Secretary, Clement Rohee, ending weeks of speculation over when the highest decision-making
PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee
caucus of the main Opposition political party will meet for the first time since it lost political power in May 2015.
Rohee told his Party’s weekly news conference on Monday that the Congress would focus primarily on regaining office.
The Party’s Central Committee met last weekend and made the decision, which according to Rohee now paved the way for the establishment of the Congress Committee.
“The Central Committee resolved unanimously to hold its 31st Congress in the last quarter of 2016 in keeping with the Party’s constitution. Now that Central Committee has agreed that we will proceed with the Congress in the last quarter of this year, the Executive now has to meet and agree on the establishment of the Congress Committee, and the Congress Committee will then begin its work in terms of the venue, the date and the theme for the Congress,” the General Secretary explained.
He reflected on past Congresses where the political atmosphere and progression were the focal point, noting that now that the PPP/C was in Opposition, its perspective would be on regaining political power.
“At this Congress, now that we are in the Opposition, a new perspective will obviously be formulated and we have to take into consideration that our Executive Committee has been meeting every week to assess the situation, so has our Central Committee which has been meeting quarterly to assess the political situation in the country. This is what you call a political work-in-progress. The perspective now that we are in Opposition is the regaining of political power…that is the fundamental task ahead of us,” he stated.
Rohee added that the urgency of the Party to retake political power within the shortest possible time was emphasised “in order to arrest the downward trajectory in which the country is now heading”.
Other areas that the Party would be focusing on are seeking electoral reforms, including lobbying for e-registration, a new voters’ list, electronic voting and e-tabulation of results.
Rohee also noted that the Executive Committee was currently “discussing strengthening the Party both organisationally and ideologically in order to deliver on its mandate to ensure a peaceful, progressive and prosperous Guyana with the PPP/C back in office”.
He explained that in accordance with this, the PPP/C was working on broadening the appeal and reach of the Party with respect to stakeholders and the society at large.
The General Secretary also condemned attempts by external elements at “sowing the seeds of discord within the leadership of the Party”, saying “the Party reiterated its resolve to counter any such attempts to divide the Party”.
The Congress will also elect a new Central Committee.
The PPP’s 30th Congress was held August 2-4, 2013, at JC Chandisingh Secondary School at Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice under the theme – “Strengthen the Party, Build Unity and Advance Democracy”.
