[www.inewsguyana.com] – In his September 27 edition of his weekly column “Conversation Tree”, former Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) member Ralph Ramkarran has traced historical association between successive Guyana governments and Western world powers, leading him to the conclusion that the PPP had lost the support from the West prior to the 2015 general elections.
Ramkarran claimed that the refusal to hold local government elections, the prorogation of the National Assembly, the PPP’s attitude to foreign representatives, corruption, arrogance and the PPP’s adamant refusal to countenance political stability by inviting at least one opposition party in the government, even in anticipation of the 2015 elections, incurred serious Western concerns.
“Against this background, the Government clashed with Western diplomats in Georgetown over the local government elections and the prorogation issues. The ‘feral blast’ at the US’s July 4th celebration, which doubled up as a farewell party for the Ambassador, and a ‘good riddance’ to the UK High Commissioner after his end of tour press conference, would have done nothing to sustain, in 2015, Western hopes for the PPP’s success in the early 1990s and the early 2000s,” he reasoned.
See Ramkarran’s full article below:
It was President George H. W. Bush’s February 1990 Republic Day message to President Desmond Hoyte, expressing the hope that the upcoming elections will be free and fair, that signaled the end of the West’s four decade hostility to the PPP, starting in 1953. Dr. Jagan had written to the US President in December 1989 seeking US support for free and fair elections in Guyana.
Earlier in 1989 Dr. Jagan wrote to President Gorbachev, President of the USSR, also seeking his support. Dr. Jagan had reminded President Gorbachev of the latter’s earlier support of President Bush’s demand for free and fair elections in Nicaragua, which was a friend of the USSR. Dr. Jagan’s hope was that President Gorbachev would elicit a quid pro quo from President Bush for his support on Nicaragua by supporting free and fair elections in Guyana. Dr. Jagan figured that with the Cold War fading, it was the opportune time for convincing the US to review its hostility to the PPP by supporting democracy in Guyana.
The new Jagan government in 1992 accepted the PNC’s Economic Recovery Programme and embraced IMF’s stringent conditionalities. Together these offered debt relief without which Guyana could not have survived. It also opened the doors to World Bank, IDB and bi-lateral resources. President Jagan’s visit to the US was highly successful and the decades-long rift between the PPP and the US had been effectively healed.
When President Jagdeo assumed office in 1999, the West was thrilled that the youthful represetative of the next generation of PPP leaders had made every effort to separate himself from the PPP’s ideological past. How is it then that the PPP, which was removed from office twice in its history, and kept out of office for near three decades, all by the West, managed to once again offend and alienate Western countries?
Notwithstanding the IMF-led strategy, which emphasized bilateral and multi-lateral aid and poverty reduction, macro-economic stability and market prescriptions, the economy refused to grow because of Guyana’s chronic political instability. The structure of Guyana’s economy in 1953, based on the export of rice, sugar and bauxite has changed only marginally by the addition of logs and gold as exports while export of bauxite had so declined that it was no longer consequential. Loans, grants and remittances supplemented an unchanging, commodity-based, export profile. When Guyana became a lower middle income country after years of modest growth, cheap loans and grants were no longer available and thus new inflows had to be found to sustain social services, the development budget and, as the PPP perceived, its continued electoral dominance. President Jagdeo’s Low Carbon Development Strategy and his Middle East visits were designed to overcome this problem.
As part of his Middle East outreach in January 2010, President Jagdeo’s delegation visited Iran and was promised assistance in identifying mining deposits, speculated to be uranium. The US had already deemed Iran a ‘state sponsor of terrorism’ and had become deeply concerned with its growing nuclear programme. Sanctions had been first imposed by the US in 1979 and later escalated, then imposed by the UN. Since Iran’s isolation was a major objective of US foreign policy, the US would have been very unhappy about the Guyana visit, especially since President Jagdeo expressed disagreement with US policy towards Iran.
Aside from Iran, Guyana’s relations with Cuba, a benefactor to Guyana, and with Venezuela, with which Guyana has a border issue, would not have presented any difficulties in its relations with the US. The Government and PPP, though considered to be on the ‘left,’ had been hitherto careful not to join any ‘anti-imperialist’ crusade. But the agreement with Iran would have caused the US to take notice.
In August 2012 Guyana abstained on a vote at the UN on Syria. The resolution, which was widely supported, condemned the use of heavy weapons in civilian areas and the widespread violations of human rights, demanded that all parties commit to ending the conflict and called for the resignation of President Assad. Guyana’s also abstained on a vote at the UN in April 2014 on a resolution which declared invalid the Russian-supported Crimean referendum on its secession from Ukraine. Guyana deeply offended the West by its vote on these resolutions, which the US considered to be important to its national interests. By this time Guyana no doubt appeared to be adopting a knee-jerk, anti-Western diplomatic posture.
Compounded with the above, internal differences aggravated relation with the West. The refusal to hold local government elections, the prorogation of the National Assembly, the PPP’s attitude to foreign representatives, corruption, arrogance and the PPP’s adamant refusal to countenance political stability by inviting at least one opposition party in the government, even in anticipation of the 2015 elections, incurred serious Western concerns.
Against this background, the Government clashed with Western diplomats in Georgetown over the local government elections and the prorogation issues. The ‘feral blast’ at the US’s July 4th celebration, which doubled up as a farewell party for the Ambassador, and a ‘good riddance’ to the UK High Commissioner after his end of tour press conference, would have done nothing to sustain, in 2015, Western hopes for the PPP’s success in the early 1990s and the early 2000s.
You are so right Keep up the Good Work.
The truth is the truth .ramkarran is correct ,that is the truth ,jagan make the same mistake cursing out the west ,peepeepee reap eat it ,do believe that we are still the poorest country after Haiti after 23years….shame on the peepeepee ratdeo,marriot fraud .fipmotilall ,speciality hospital fraud .skeldon sugar factory white elephant .pradovil fraud ,family and friend party .i can go on and on ,change in govt.is need ,every ten years ,in this way u wll have checks and balances ,one party rule for 23 years is dictatorship,drugs and guns take over guyana under PPP,crime ,
Side Kick you are right. Even in develop countries people change party. There were black people who went over to the PPP and I can’t recall anyone lambasting them. Some of these people cannot digest the fact that they lost the election so the gravy train stop. They continue to talk about PNC when the government is a coalition. Any third world country that think they can survive without the ABC countries are delusional, the system is set up that way. Russia and Venezuela are develop countries and they are feeling the wrath of the West much less Guyana. Do you think it’s by accident or supply and demand that caused oil price to be so low, if yes, then you are delusional again.
Mr Ramkaran has thoughtfully stated his case and it is evident that the previous Government was indeed pursuing an independent path… which is/was not acceptable by the ABC grouping…. more so that oil was high on the agenda and who will control it…. now think about that …..I recall Former Executive President Burnham saying something to the effect in Latin ” It was not the reason for the war by the occasion for the war”….
Well said Claudeston. Your words are prophetic. These racist really believe that only an Indian dominated govt. should run Guyana. I get the feeling that Guyana will go nowhere if this sentiment continues. Everyday they seem to be going after Indians who have left the reservation, they see them a traitors to the race. How sad.
He did not substantiate anything because he did not produce evidence the West engineered the May 11 coalition win. And even if the West did, it was welcomed if only to put the brakes on the gravy train. You people don’t care about Guyana, as long as the PPP is in power and Indians and Blacks struggle to survive or see who next will leave Guyana first.
The truth is you think Guyana belongs to US. That will cut you short of your ignorance based on what you said. Leave others alone with their opinion if you cant think for yourself. Let the US keep thinking for you since thats your choice.
The truth is hard for most of us to admit. And the truth is the ppp got too full of itself based on share demographics this party just knew GUYANA belonged to them as there was no way they could be defeated at the ballot box. In addition the Guyanese voter weined as they are on race _winning for the ppp was a foregone conclusion. The miscalculation however was the disappointment of that same base over the lack of progress for that base at the bottom of the economic ladder while they witnessed on a daily basis their leaders flaunting unearned wealth. Even when forming a minority government in 2011 ppp leaders and jagdeo in particular did not get the message. Ramkarran is mostly right that arrogance permeated the ppp and even spilled over to their dealings with the West which was not only asinine but down right stupid. You can hardly feed your family and cussing out the boss. The ppp lost the election fair and square which was a continuation of the 2011 results. The party as well as their die hard supporters will continue to find this pill hard to swallow. Ramkarran apparently has digested his medicine if the ppp is to reclaim its original mandate as the peoples party then they will have to hold their noses and swallow.
In this article Ramkarran substantiated that the APNU+AFC=PNC defacto Government was indeed installed into Office by the US & UK.
PPP never lost the 2015 Election they were simply removed by the US & UK due to bad relations or egostistic me .
Why this soup drinker .. Don’t get real and go do something better .. Trying to blame ppppppp
I have argued before that Ramkarran is a bitter man,who was very quiet when many sinister plans were been hatched by the cabal.He never spoke out neither did he made his views know. The same can be said of Nagas. They have so much baggage to carry that they definitely need our prayers and our help. We shouldn’t believe them. they are just bitter bitter bitter
I’D LIKE TO ADD THAT THE LAWYER , RAMKARRAN , IS BLAMING THE VICTIM OF RAPE FOR THE ACT COMMITTED BY THE RAPIST.
IN A FEW WORDS , I,D LIKE TO SAY THAT RAMKARRAN IS A DEEPLY DISTURBED MAN . AND THIS IS BECAUSE HE WAS NOT SELECTED BY THE PPP/C TO BE IT’S PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE . POOR FELLOW HAS A LEGAL MATTER PENDING THAT WILL SOON REDUCE HIS BIG EGO TO ZERO .
Most part of this write up is true,however PPP did not go anti west but rather attempted to make Guyana an independent state,not a western puppet.the idea that the west instills government,that i a lie which the west use to keep countries in check.the PPP lost simply because they became too arrogant,plain and simple.there economic policies where better,foreign policy were better,even in the glaring sense that they were very racist,they still courted African leader.
I am deeply concerned about the new Government,because they seem to lack experience in governance,rather than get those that can do things,they bring in party people and expect to get the ideas from the public.that is a scary way to run a government,the economy has falling by atlist 10%,nobody seem interested in doing anything about it.foreign relation is at all time low rather the government does not think it is time to strategies,even the control of information is mishandled.i am truly worried because by my economic estimate,i expect the country to begin feeling an economic pinch by january .as for blaming low investment on the venezuelan issue,that must be the president’s advisers fooling him,every leader should be worried about who they make advisers,because a leader is as good as his/her adviser.there are no investor because statements and body language of the government has indicated that the government is not welcoming to foreigners except those from A.B.C countries and as such nobody wants to lose his or her money.my last advice to the President without missing words,the forgein ministry is a mess,if this is the team you put up to handle your forgein relations,then i miss no words to tell you that expect less investment and countries distancing themself from you.please tell the minister of citizenship,you do not advertise the fact that you are deporting people as records have showed you dont know who you are deporting and this people would return to there country to give a report and your country citizen would be treated same way,it is called retalitry forgein policy.you dont go to the media to attack citizens of other countries when they havent attacked yours in there country.
PPP’s “arrogance” was not helpful in sustaining the support of the West – Ramkarran.
Well Ramkarran is no different from the power hungry gluts in PNC and the Indians that joined PNC.
Once they want power they bow to US and UK.
They must tow the US and UK line at all times to remain in power.
So it’s only now that Ramkarran admitting that the US and UK installed the PNC to rule once more?
I have very bad news for Ramkarran and this is to inform him that like 90% of the Guyanese population already knew PNC was installed to rule again.
I dont know how people could say that men such as Ramkarran is bright.
To me Ramkarran is a full total and complete duncesince he knew very well that PNC never won an election in Guyana and will never win one ever.
Finally he admit that PNC was installed because PPP give US and UK the feral blast which the PNC will never do but PNC will kiss ass to get power always.
Ramkarran knows it more than many of us.