This week, a local media house reported that there appears to be some level of uncertainty over who should be the next Presidential Candidate for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) at the 2020 General and Regional Elections.
It also reported that there were heated arguments in the party and major disagreements over a number of issues, including the holding of the party’s next Congress because the current leadership of the party was trying to hold on to power and resist new blood while depriving its members from participating in a democratic process that could shake up the party.
That media house along with another online news entity also wasted no time in making the point that there was great resentment or resistance at all levels of the party to the possibility of Bharrat Jagdeo running again and serving another term were the party to be victorious at those polls.
To the average man who consumes the information as portrayed in certain sections of the media, the PPP has found itself in another crisis and conundrum after losing the 2015 elections.
But those who are politically schooled will look deeper at a number of other variables including the agenda of the media houses that published the related stories, the timing of the information, the source and its creditability, and the level of truth and facts within the body of the news report before arriving at such a conclusion.
They are also likely to look at the general political developments in the country, past trends, the politics of the ruling APNU/AFC Government inclusive of its propaganda machinery and the ensuing challenges facing its politicians.
The truth is, since the return of Jagdeo to the local political scene as Opposition Leader the PPP has managed to rejuvenate its grassroots bases, restore hope and confidence amongst its members and move in a more systematic as well as coherent way whether in Parliament or outside.
To his credit, Jagdeo has also managed to win the confidence and respect of most if not all of the PPP’s young and not so young politicians as well as Central Executive members.
While it is true that he is often criticised by some older members for the manner in which he articulates his views and pushes for certain reforms within the party, it is also true that at the end of the day, the democratic pillars of the party work and remain intact as almost every decision is taken after discussion, votes and consultation.
Following his return, the party has also been actively championing to do more for the poor, youth and working masses in the country. It has even publicly acknowledged where it failed and could have done more while it was in office which is a departure from the traditional hardcore politics of the PPP.
Also, despite losing power in May last year, the party has managed to challenge the Government on every front, bringing a series of unprecedented litigation and lawsuits where needed through a set of its most learned legal minds with the former Attorney General Anil Nandlall taking centre-stage in this respect.
The PPP appears to have stopped licking its wounds and there is much evidence on the ground to show that its General Secretary Clement Rohee has wasted no time in reading the riot act to party empolyees, organisers and supporters about staying in touch with the masses, following the rules of the party and staying the course.
He and Jagdeo appear to have worked out a formula that would see them, though distinctly different, working in unison to avoid unnecessary fictions, divisions and disharmony while in opposition at the level of the party. The truth is, the PPP Congress if held tomorrow does not have the power alone to change the course of the party and redefine its politics while in opposition.
The PPP Congress can only renew its leadership and witness the creation of a new mandate from its delegates and members.
Contrary to the insinuations of some of the media reports, Jagdeo is likely to come out on top of any polling process in the party. He is immensely popular amongst the party youths and rank and file. Other senior politicians like Rohee, Gail Teixeira, Irfaan Ali, Anil Nandlall and Dr Roger Luncheon are also highly popular within the party base and will not disappear because the party is in opposition.
The truth is, someone in the ruling party had a bright idea and wanted to divert attention from government’s missteps, excesses and failures after one year in office, and tried to tilt the news and publics’ agenda. They were also no doubt aided by some disgruntled forces within the PPP who seemingly are racing against the tides hoping to achieve status and rank without putting in the work, years and personal sacrifice.
The PPP after a long time appears to be breathing some fresh air even though the old faces in its leadership remain the same.
The party must therefore resist any temptation to air its disagreements in the public or media. It also must resist strongly the move by sections of the media to set and define its agenda, who should be eligible to become its next presidential candidate and when or whether it should hold its Congress this year. Those are matters for the party’s leadership to decide on as a collective.
All the leaders in the PPP must put their egos and ambitions aside and rally behind Jagdeo and Rohee while in opposition. Until 2020, the emphasis should be on repairing the party’s political machinery, recruiting workers, reconnecting with lost supporters, improving its political appeal to voters and strengthening its PYO.
The PNCs failure was that it allowed the media and its political dictators to shape its destiny. During the early 1990s it also failed to stand as a united front while in opposition and again allowed the media to seek out factions and set them against each other so that more newspapers could be sold and newscast rating increased.
The media also by its reportage of events also reduced the appeals of Janet Jagan and Desmond Hoyte at different periods in our history.
The PPP must understand it will only survive being in opposition when it learns how to set the media’s agenda without attacking its integrity and freedom.
