So we've entered the second decade of the twenty-first century and there is great interest as to who will emerge as the presidential candidates for the two major ruling parties. It's an election year - well, hopefully, given all the conspiracy theories afoot that elections will be delayed.
In an unprecedented move, eminent Statesman, Senior Counsel and Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran has publicly expressed his interest with a full page advertisement in the newspaper. I was actually quite surprised at this audacious move which I thought was quite out of character.
For the first time since universal adult suffrage in 1953 the PPP will be contesting an election without a Jagan on its Executive Committe. There will be no influence of a Jagan in this year's frenzied political hustings and on the worn campaign trail.
For the first time in Guyana's post colonial history men of all ilk have thrown their proverbial hat into the political ring. Guyana's version of the US primaries has started in an ad hoc hapzard fashion with no internal party statutory rules on how the selection will be made. With no clear rules, precedent or guidance the men of all ilk have chosen individual strategies on how best to comunicate to their party, their constituents and the country that they are interested - dat dey want de wuk! After all, in fairness to everyone, goat ain't bite nobody.
Ralph Ramkarran could be the first PPP Lawyer to lead the party into a general election and possibly lead the country. However, lawyers have never fared particularly well in the fold of the PPP. Khemraj Ramjattan was a rising star within the party but was expelled in a cleverly orchestrated move. Moses Nagamootoo has been effectively guillotined. He was a serving Minister of Information and chose to take a political leave of absence to study law that ultimately saw his fall from grace. Today, he is a practicing lawyer that was never able to make it back into Cabinet. He also failed to make it back into the Executive Committee of the PPP despite pulling the fifth highest number of votes at the last Congress.
Traditionally PPP lawyers have seemed unable to catapult themselves into the final leg of the leadership race. In fact, the PPP has always displayed a clear propensity if not an unexplained aversion to keeping legal experts and expert legal advice close to its chest.
Granger brings security to the table. Basil Williams also brings a legal background to the table. Donald, I'm not sure what Donald brings to the table having never served at any senior government level.
Anxiety is high. Tension is building and everyone is waiting with bated breaths to see who will emerge as victorious candidates to begin dusting the campaign trail. Ironically, it is the the PNC who have already shortlisted five candidates and are presenting them to the public by way of town hall meetings. Whether this is a farce or not, since rumour has it that David Granger is highly favoured to be given the nod, it is commendable and brings some openness to the table.
Meanwhile, there are rumblings from Freedom House that recessive political DNA genes are now becoming dominant; one person seems to be visibly favoured over the others by accompanying the President overseas and on Cabinet outreaches; another is threatening to withdraw from a process that does not involve the input of the grassroots supporters or a special congress and the most senior lawyer within the party has abandoned his traditional conservative approach and is actively lobbying for a selection process that is fair and transparent.
Very very exciting times.
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