Latest update April 23rd, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 16, 2011 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon
Today, 75,000 members of a very controversial political party in France will choose a new leader. Founded by Jean-Marie Le Pen, the National Front is an extremist right-wing entity that has obnoxious positions on many fundamentally decent premises of politics. It is racist, neo-fascist and can generally be regarded as a hate organization.
Le Pen has stepped down and his daughter, Marine, has initiated a leadership challenge. Le Pen’s long-time deputy, Bruno Gollnisch is pitted against her
Despite all the offensive things said about the National Front, its hierarchy has more democratic instinct than the PPP in Guyana. Its leaders know that the person at the helm must be chosen by the members of the party.
Gollnisch accepted the challenge from Marine Le Pen, and her father never sought to manoeuvre her onto the throne. The National Front will do today what most political parties do – chose their leaders by popular vote. The historic figure of Basdeo Panday was overthrown by PM Persad-Bissesar through the popular vote in the UNC in Trinidad.
Here in Guyana, a party that openly says Guyana has one of the world’s most democratic constitutions and that Guyana is way ahead of other countries in the entire Americas in terms of rights and freedoms, has barefacedly told the people of Guyana that it does not believe that the members of the PPP should decide who gets its presidential nomination. It is a horrible denial of democracy which no country should accept.
It is important to note that the PPP governors are not conceding even a congressional event to choose its election point man. It has resorted to the nasty, dictatorial route of 35 persons in its central committee to make the decision. The PPP says it has 2500 members, but only 35 of that membership will choose its presidential candidate. This means 1.4 percent of the PPP’s platform will decide on the nomination.
This commentator believes in the most inflexible way that a popular franchise will give Moses Nagamootoo the number one spot. In this regard, one feels immensely sorry for this PPP patriot. It is indeed a tragedy that Nagamootoo will not be allowed to lead the PPP into the 2011 general elections because of the very nature of his party – its authoritarian make-up.
We may never be able to understand what will happen to his mind after another person is chosen (I don’t believe the PPP dictators will allow for secret ballot; a core group in the PPP has decided already who will get the prize) but it must be a psychological burden Nagamootoo will carry for the rest of his life.
If he is not strong the trauma can mentally destroy him. I hope not. I have known Nagamootoo for over thirty-five years and have always regarded him as a nice politician.
I honestly don’t feel sorry for Nagamootoo, Ramkarran, Komal Chand, Navin and Indra Chandarpal, and Rajendra Bissesar (with whom I have always had torrid but pleasant polemics since our youthful days as UG students) over their exclusion from the PPP’s decision-making machinery. These are people who stood by and watched their organization clothe itself in the most autocratic, authoritarian garments not for two years or three or five or even ten, but for more than thirty-five years.
Even if they were afraid of the Jagans they had an opportunity after Mrs. Jagan took a back seat. I honestly cannot put Nagamootoo in this group because he did speak out even when Cheddi and Janet Jagan were in control. For this he was ostracized.
The die is cast! The PPP has selected its point man for the 2011 poll. Only those that are mentally handicapped, fundamentally indecent human beings or stricken with fascist tendencies will accept the nature of the PPP. This is the 21st century, where people strive to leave primitive values behind.
Civilization is about human beings taking society to higher levels. It is truly an incredibly horrible set of people that would allow in this day and age an organization’s head to be chosen by 1.4 percent of its membership.
How can any voter accept this? What lies inside the mind of a human being that he/she can put the future of his/her country in the hands of politicians who can openly tell you that they do not believe in democracy? Is there a person out there in this world, except for the conspiratorial few in the PPP leadership that will accept that a tiny minority in an organization should choose its leader?
Is it not decency and democracy that it should be left to the majority to do that?
LISTEN HOW JAGDEO WILL MAKE ALL GUYANESE RICH!!!
Apr 23, 2024
Kaieteur Sports – Over the weekend, the prestigious Lusignan Golf Club played host to the highly anticipated AMCHAM Golf Tournament, drawing golf enthusiasts and professionals alike from across...Kaieteur News – Just recently, the PPC determined that it does not have the authority to vitiate a contract which was... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Waterfalls Magazine – On April 10, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]