Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo in seeking to assure his supporters, has noted that he will remain the General Secretary (GS) of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C).
A statement from Jagdeo on Saturday evening noted that since the announcement that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will deliver its ruling in the constitutional case of Attorney General of Guyana v Cedric Richardson on Tuesday, June 26, “multitudes” of supporters of the PPP and those from the “political divide” have made contact with him.
“Many concerns were raised, including the public statements of those in Government in respect of a particular outcome.
“As a result, I am moved to publicly assure that whatever the ruling is, I am and will remain the General Secretary of the PPP. In that capacity, I will continue to spearhead the Party’s struggle for a better life for all Guyanese, especially the working people, the poor and the under-privileged, for racial and national unity and for victory at the polls at the next Local Government, Regional and National Elections,” the Party GS said.
According to Jagdeo, “Unlike the 2011-2015 period, where I played no formal part in the PPP Administration, I intend to be a formal part of the next PPP government as we resume the implementation of plans to build a better country of which all our people can feel proud.”
“Ours is a Party not built on personalities but on policies, all designed to create a better life for our people, and forge racial, ethnic and class unity. I remain committed to these policies and causes and will continue to struggle with the Party to achieve them.
I remain absolutely humbled at the over-whelming confidence which the Guyanese people have continued to place in me and I remain eternally grateful for their continued support,” his statement ended.
In 2014, Cedric Richardson, a Guyanese citizen, filed a constitutional challenge regarding the two-term limit for the country’s presidency. The challenge was filed by Attorneys-at-Law Emily Dodson and Shawn Allicock, on behalf of Richardson.
In February 2017, the Court of Appeal in Guyana ruled that presidential term limits are unconstitutional, promoting the Government to move to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to challenge the ruling.
Since then, Jagdeo has avoided the question as to whether he will run as the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) presidential candidate for the 2020 General and Regional elections if the ruling on the third term case is favourable.
At a press conference on April 12, 2018, Jagdeo was repeatedly asked the question but only said he is not interested in the formalities that come with the position.
Jagdeo told reporters that “having to go to cocktails and receptions and accrediting ambassadors and having courtesy calls and a whole range of those things that go with the presidency, it doesn’t attract me…I don’t have any desire to be a part of it… what I have a great desire to do is to work or to ensure that people’s lives, the welfare are changed.”
