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PPP to elect presidential candidate today

…detractors will not influence process – Jagdeo

The Executive of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) will today vote to elect its presidential candidate for the upcoming Regional and General Elections.
The five candidates contesting for the position are Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira; former Attorney General Anil Nandlall; former Housing Minister Irfaan Ali; former Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony and Member of Parliament, Dr Vindhya Persaud.
Last week, these candidates made their case in presentations before the Party’s Executive, and their submissions were discussed ahead of this weekend’s voting via secret ballot.
Previously, in the PPP, the presidential candidate was consensually nominated, but this time around there are more than one candidate; as such, the Party resorted to using the secret ballot.
Speaking with reporters at his weekly press briefing on Thursday, PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo believes that a consensus candidate would have been the more desired way forward.
“It’s always better to have a consensus candidate; in any organisation, that’s the ideal thing… [So] which party doesn’t want to have a consensus? Shouldn’t that be what you want to work towards? Is that not the best thing to do?” Jagdeo, who is also the Opposition Leader, queried.
The Opposition Leader made it clear that outside opinions and detractors such as Freddie Kissoon and sections of the media who are attempting to dictate the Party’s decision will not influence the process in electing the candidate. Last week, a section of the media launched an attack to desecrate the character of Irfaan Ali, who is one of the presidential prospects in the candidacy race. In 2018, the same was done to Gail Teixeira by Kissoon who attempted to discredit the Chief Whip.
The Opposition Leader assured that whoever is selected from the five would receive the full support and cooperation of the other candidates going forward.
“In the presentation, every single one of the five said, ‘If I do not become the [presidential] candidate, I will work with, and support, the other person’. They all said that explicitly. This was asked of everyone…every single one of the five said, ‘Yes, I will work for the interest of the Party and support [whoever is selected]’… So that is really good for our organisation,” Jagdeo stated.
According to the Leader of the Opposition, this is particularly important since the Party has a specific programme to execute when it returns to office. This includes reversing the draconian measures imposed on the mining sector by the coalition Government; reopening the three sugar estates that were closed in 2017; bringing in private investors to employ persons and restore benefits to pensioners and the children.
Jagdeo said the PPP was also looking to create a “big tent” when in office to include civil society and other stakeholders who have been approaching the Party, expressing a desire to work with the Party. This, he added, include youths whom the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) seemed to have abandoned.
In fact, using himself as a prime example, Jagdeo pointed out that the PPP has a track record on young people in politics that is unassailable in this region. The former Head of State reminded too that more than half of his Cabinet was below the age of 40 and were managing some of the country’s critical sectors.
“We are a party that give young people opportunities. I was in my 20s when I became a minister, I was 35 when my party selected me to take the office of the President,” he said.
Now, he added, this trend continues with one of the presidential candidates being in his 30s, two in their 40s, another in his 50s and one in her 60s.
“So we have a range of people with years of experience as well. They had worked themselves up to the leadership of the Party and they had not just the Government experience, but went to the congress; they got elected; they went to the [Central Committee], and then they got to the Executive … So we have a proven track record with young people,” Jagdeo reaffirmed.
Jagdeo noted that the Party has also started work on its candidacy lists for Nomination Day, which could be early February. To this end, he is calling on persons interested in being on the Party’s regional, national top-up and geographical lists to so indicate.

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Anil Nandlall, Frank Anthony key to PPP victory at next general elections

 

Left to right: Irfan Ali, Bharrat Jagdeo, Anil Nandlall and Gail Teixeira

Top front-runners for the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) presidential candidacy – lawyer Anil Nandlall and Dr. Frank Anthony – will Saturday hold sway on whether they would stay in the race and risk their party being defeated at the next general elections with Irfan Ali at the helm, party insiders said.

The top party executives said either Nandlall or Anthony should pull out of the contest and throw his support behind the other to ensure that Ali, who is being backed by party General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo, is defeated.

“The situation is fluid,” a long-standing executive member of the PPP told Demerara Waves Online News on condition of strict anonymity.

With Anthony already having at least 12 solid votes from among the 35-member Central Committee, one party official said it would be easier for the former Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport to pull out and endorse Nandlall, a former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs.

PPP MP Dr Frank Anthony

Sources said Nandlall and Anthony have been lobbied to exit the race, but so far neither of them has budged and that could see Ali winning the majority of votes and leaving the party practically in the hands of Jagdeo. “Jagdeo is a local version of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin because he wants to run the country with a face as a front through someone he has full confidence in,” the source said.

Another source said an Irfan Ali presidential candidacy would also be a soft target for A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) on the election campaign trail.

“Ali would effectively be Jagdeo’s proxy or surrogate and the PNC/APNU, AFC, and this is playing right into the hands of the PNC,” the source said. Ali is facing serious scrutiny about whether his academic qualifications are authentic. While Ali had attended the University of Guyana none of his credentials tendered includes even a diploma from that institution.

PPP parliamentarian, Dr. Vindhya Persaud

Earlier this week, the High Court temporarily blocked the Magistrates Court from hearing several alleged fraudulent land sales to colleague cabinet members and other senior officials in the public and private sector totalling GYD$174 million.

Jagdeo, who is also the opposition leader, has already come out swinging against the governing coalition, saying that criminal charges filed against Ali and Nandlall were politically trumped up and that anyone the PPP puts forward was likely to face a similar fate. Nandlall is accused of stealing several law books, property of the Government of Guyana while he was Attorney General.

Other sources closely associated with the PPP are also not optimistic about Ali winning Saturday’s vote, but credited Ali with “getting things done” as Minister of Housing, Water and Tourism.

Dr. Vindhya Persaud and Gail Teixeira are expected to pull out of contest on Saturday. Teixeira and Roger Luncheon are said to be very much pro-Jagdeo and by extension pro-Ali.

 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
K

With Anthony already having at least 12 solid votes from among the 35-member Central Committee, one party official said it would be easier for the former Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport to pull out and endorse Nandlall, a former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs.

K
Bibi Haniffa posted:
kp posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:
Sheik101 posted:

Who

I will tell you as soon as I am done crying.

Please don't tell me is Irfan Ali?

Sigh!!!!!!  SMFH!!!!

Funding from diaspora is over, Not good for PPP.

K
Bibi Haniffa posted:
kp posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:
Sheik101 posted:

Who

I will tell you as soon as I am done crying.

Please don't tell me is Irfan Ali?

Sigh!!!!!!  SMFH!!!!

Your Cuzo Ralph could have been in the race. Too bad. 

Mitwah
kp posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:
kp posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:
Sheik101 posted:

Who

I will tell you as soon as I am done crying.

Please don't tell me is Irfan Ali?

Sigh!!!!!!  SMFH!!!!

Funding from diaspora is over, Not good for PPP.

PPP on their own if this is confirm 

FM
Dave posted:
kp posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:
kp posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:
Sheik101 posted:

Who

I will tell you as soon as I am done crying.

Please don't tell me is Irfan Ali?

Sigh!!!!!!  SMFH!!!!

Funding from diaspora is over, Not good for PPP.

PPP on their own if this is confirm 

Confirmed.    

Bibi Haniffa
Bibi Haniffa posted:
Dave posted:
kp posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:
kp posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:
Sheik101 posted:

Who

I will tell you as soon as I am done crying.

Please don't tell me is Irfan Ali?

Sigh!!!!!!  SMFH!!!!

Funding from diaspora is over, Not good for PPP.

PPP on their own if this is confirm 

Confirmed.    

WTF is wrong with these people????

FM
Gilbakka posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Watch game now. Time for Ralph to make his move and start collecting defectors.  From PPP and PNC.

In fact I'm just thinking of urging disappointed PPP supporters to Vote ANUG.

All of a sudden, the son of PPP founder Boysie Ramkarran might get a chance. 

Bibi Haniffa
Gilbakka posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Watch game now. Time for Ralph to make his move and start collecting defectors.  From PPP and PNC.

In fact I'm just thinking of urging disappointed PPP supporters to Vote ANUG.

I am on board. 

FM
Gilbakka posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Watch game now. Time for Ralph to make his move and start collecting defectors.  From PPP and PNC.

In fact I'm just thinking of urging disappointed PPP supporters to Vote ANUG.

Assuming that you have influence among vast amounts of PPP supporters.

Let us not discount that Irfaan won 24 to 11. How do you explain that 24 members of the committee voted for him? Are they all Jagdeo stooges?

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Dave posted:
Gilbakka posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Watch game now. Time for Ralph to make his move and start collecting defectors.  From PPP and PNC.

In fact I'm just thinking of urging disappointed PPP supporters to Vote ANUG.

I am on board. 

How stupid ayuh people are, eh?  Shame shit like last time.  A vote for ANUG is a vote for the PNC.  BJ was all ayuh hero, now ayuh ready fuh jump ship because of Irfaan?  How simple minded and stupid can people be.  Ayuh ready fuh throw ayuh mattie under the bus because some big teeth, dunce goat running?  Relax and take a breath!

Big man like you unscaled fish, jump heh, jump deh, hate BJ, love BJ, now BJ is a big skont.

Baseman
Last edited by Baseman
Dave posted:
Gilbakka posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Watch game now. Time for Ralph to make his move and start collecting defectors.  From PPP and PNC.

In fact I'm just thinking of urging disappointed PPP supporters to Vote ANUG.

I am on board. 

#metoo

FM
skeldon_man posted:
Dave posted:
Gilbakka posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

Watch game now. Time for Ralph to make his move and start collecting defectors.  From PPP and PNC.

In fact I'm just thinking of urging disappointed PPP supporters to Vote ANUG.

I am on board. 

#metoo

Stop with ayuh antimanish behavior!  Ayuh guh get PNC up ayuh rass.  Keep this shit up!

Baseman

rfan Ali is PPP/C presidential candidate

 

PPP/C Shadow Finance Minister, Irfan Ali

Embattled People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Central Committee member, Irfan Ali, was Saturday elected to be his party’s presidential candidate, party sources said.

Ali, a Bharrat Jagdeo favourite, beat Anil Nandlall 24-11, sources said.

Insiders said Gail Teixeira, Frank Anthony and Vindhya Persaud withdrew from the race. Anthony left in the company of fellow Central Committee member, Indra Chandrapal in his vehicle.

They both refused to comment, instead saying the PPP would issue a statement.

Ali is Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and Shadow Finance Minister.

He emerged victorious despite serious questions about his academic qualifications and being charged with a GYD$174 million fraud connected to the sale of housing lands to Jagdeo and former PPP Cabinet ministers.

K
ksazma posted:

Now that the party has spoken, I fully support Mr. Ali for president. Better than those dunces in the Coalition government.

How come all dem Ivy Leaguers and PHds, etc nah undastand dah and abie two high school drop outs, Ksaz and Base, see datt implication rite away!

Maybe dats the story, Irfann mo smart dan all dem PHDs and suh!  Now he guh be prezzy juss like how Bygeval man beat out all dem QC bannaz to become the Grand Guyatolla!

Baseman
Baseman posted:

Big man like you unscaled fish, jump heh, jump deh, hate BJ, love BJ, now BJ is a big skont.

Okay, that was an emotional outburst on my part. I shall not encourage anyone to vote ANUG. Thanks for the criticism. 

FM
Gilbakka posted:
Baseman posted:

Big man like you unscaled fish, jump heh, jump deh, hate BJ, love BJ, now BJ is a big skont.

Okay, that was an emotional outburst on my part. I shall not encourage anyone to vote ANUG. Thanks for the criticism. 

So you gon become a Yes man now and not follow your conscience?

Mars
Mars posted:
Gilbakka posted:
Baseman posted:

Big man like you unscaled fish, jump heh, jump deh, hate BJ, love BJ, now BJ is a big skont.

Okay, that was an emotional outburst on my part. I shall not encourage anyone to vote ANUG. Thanks for the criticism. 

So you gon become a Yes man now and not follow your conscience?

Looking at the big picture, PPP is bigger than one man. I erred in urging support for ANUG. My anger at the choice of Irfaan must not blind me from what the PPP stands for overall.

FM

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