Dear Editor,
Sean Ori writes: “PPP should take back the party from Bharrat Jagdeo”. Jagdeo is the most liked person in the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) base and remains the most popular leader in the country. His presence is necessary to reform the PPP to make it electable. And aside from Jagdeo, the Party has limited leadership options. Only he has shown some understanding of the need for the Party to reform and to be all embracing (recruit credible outsiders), and it is hoped he will pursue this advice.
Guyana is desperately in need of enlightened leadership to address wide ranging socio-economic and political transformation and to attract cross racial support.A genuine transformational leader affiliated with the PPP will run away with the election.
A transformational leader or party is one who (which) helps to attract new or unaligned or cross ethnic voters and that (who) also motivate workers (from all sections of society) to help the party win an election. He or it is a team builder and motivational to inspire people to join it or him. It (he) attracts vote mobilisers (canvassers or those who campaign for a party) to get voters to support the party towards victory. The transformational leader or party embraces all and considers the advice and opinion of all. The transformational leader makes decisions by consensus and shares powers with others rather than govern in an authoritarian manner. People have faith in him or it to bring about development. And he or it appoints people from all sections of the society to important positions and in the leadership. That has been missing in our society in both parties when they governed at different times.
The People’s National Congress (PNC)-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) have not given any signs that they will be transformational (as promised during the 2015 election campaign), and they are averse to advice to give the country good governance. David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo were sold and touted as transformational leaders. The coming together of the two of them influenced the outcome of the elections of May 2015. But they have disappointed the nation. They were leaders who were supposed to make Indians feel comfortable in joining the PNC. Instead, they have done the opposite – isolated and marginalized Indians making them most uncomfortable. Granger has addressed concerns and served the interests of his constituents while Nagamootoo has failed to do likewise for his constituents. The coalition Government has been a dismal failure, with no sign of improved rule in the horizon. Because people are giving up hope on APNU/AFC to be transformational as they promised, attention is redirected on the PPP to make it a transformational entity that will address national concerns and bring about development which has eluded the country. But the currently constituted PPP lacks a transformational leader, and none is in the offing.
Jagdeo has the skills and capacity to make the PPP transformational, and he has been reaching out to others outside of the PPP. As I suggested, the PPP needs reform in order to attract credible individuals, who will help in the transformation process, making the party even more attractive to voters. There is no doubt in my mind, based on recent surveys I conducted, that a transformed (reformed) PPP will win a resounding victory in the next election.
In meetings in New York, Jagdeo hinted that he wants to make the PPP all inclusive (including former members and critics) but faces resistance from within. The PPP’s Central Committee may feel confident it will win the next election (because of the countless blunders of the APNU/AFC coalition) and as such may not (want) need to embrace others. But in elections, a victory is not guaranteed even when analysts feel it is a foregone conclusion as we saw in the US presidential election in 2016 or Ramotar’s fate in 2011 and 2015. A coalition victory in 2020 must not be ruled out because the PNC is known to have creative ways to win an election. Besides, it has the backing of the US which does not particularly care for a PPP return but will accept a Ramkarran or a Joe Singh.
So Jagdeo must find a way to reform the party and reach out to outsiders. Jagdeo has shown the willingness to do so. The Central Committee members must do the same by embracing those they attacked in the past. In politics, there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests and the Party must be prepared to do what is necessary to enhance its electoral position. PPP supporters will accept Jagdeo’s decisions of embrace outsiders.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Vishnu Bisram
