Dear Editor,
Conversations with Opposition politicians and critics around the country find many underrating Bharrat Jagdeo’s political savviness and acumen, much to their electoral detriment. It will be an uphill task to defeat him in the 2025 elections. People are voting for him, and there is hardly anyone in the Opposition who poses a strong challenge to Jagdeo.
His rise to power and his leadership style have sparked admiration as well as criticism, but regardless of one’s political stance on the PPP leader, there is no doubt that he is among the smartest politicians in the country. He is street-smart, cunning, astute, and politically shrewd. He knows local and national politics well, and plays politics expertly.
There is no other person like him in political gamesmanship, not in his party and not in the Opposition. And unlike other politicians, he is a perennial election campaigner who lives, thinks and acts in ways to win an election. He prepared the party for victory in 2020, and has been doing so for the election of November 2025.
The PPP leader has traits and qualities that have worked for him ever since he became Finance Minister (1994) and President (1999). President Janet Jagan must have seen something in him in terms of leadership, in July 1999, to make way for his ascent to the Presidency. He did not disappoint. In the early years of his Presidency, he worked in collaboration with seniors in the party and the opposition, winning over critics and detractors like his founder-leader Cheddi Jagan of the PPP.
Jagdeo has single-handedly led from the front. And since becoming President, he has built an aura around himself to put the supporters of the Opposition or the PNC in their place, much to the delight and cheer of his base.
Conversations with admirers and critics reveal words used to describe him: self-motivated, self-confident, courageous, success-driven, proactive, inspiring, knowledgeable, strategic, determined to succeed, results-oriented, organized, resilient, insightful, hard-working, details-oriented, assertive, passionate, success-driven, and decisive when making decisions.
It is noted that Jagdeo comes across as a person who reads a lot, a voracious reader who reads up on every project to be undertaken by the Government, even on subjects he never studied. He has a great work ethic, and has been an effective, successful leader of his party. There is no doubt that he is the most powerful person in the party, and by extension in the country. He remains the most popular political figure, though not necessarily the most liked, in the country and the diaspora.
He is extremely sharp in analyzing local politics. He knows extremely well the bases of the party and the Opposition, and how to play to them for maximum electoral gains. His speeches and public addresses often resonate with his party’s masses, and by extension supporters in the diaspora.
There is a kind of personality cult surrounding Jagdeo among party supporters at home and abroad. They love him because they say he fought for them – against electoral rigging, racism, victimization, marginalization, and physical assaults, including the murder of several business people.
Those who describe Jagdeo negatively don’t understand his ability to influence people, and the power he holds, especially over Indians. He knows how to charm them to retain his influence over them. He can do no wrong in the eyes of the Indian masses, and even the elite. That is not surprising. When Indian business people were kidnapped and dozens murdered in 2002 and 2003, Jagdeo stood for them. He fearlessly and resolutely dealt with the killers. Hardly anyone else connected to the PPP at the time demonstrated such resoluteness to deal with the criminals who ran havoc, murdering business people.
Jagdeo has a vision for the country in terms of national development, and would like for policies to be carried out efficiently. He is an action-oriented leader who wants to get things done and quickly, though efficiently. He is known for his ability to make bold, decisive decisions, especially on mega projects, implementing policies that prioritize economic growth. And since the Venezuela threat post- 2021, he has focused on national security by courting the Americans to stand with Guyana.
The PPP leader has excellent communication skills, that have helped him connect with the party’s base; he talks the language they want to hear. He has projected a strong public image as a tough guy, an approach that has inspired trust among the party base and created a positive environment for policymaking and implementation. His implementation of certain economic policies and national political campaigns has earned him praise among the base, and even among critics for his strong, decisive leadership. Those excommunicated from the PPP also admire his decisiveness in policymaking and the mega projects.
His approval rating is above any other in the country, although his likeability rating is lower than several other prominent political figures. It is advisable not to get on his wrong side. If you are a fair critic, he is known to engage you, as found in press conferences and engagements in New York.
Jagdeo has, over the last few years, been in campaign mode for the 2025 elections. And there is no dispute that his party is currently in the lead for 2025. It is a gargantuan task, though not impossible, to defeat him in November 2025.
But Aubrey Norton, who is struggling in his party’s base to retain their following, and with nil support among Indians, won’t be able to do it.
Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram
