| …leaves guess open about political futureMoses Nagamootoo, yesterday, parted ways with the People’s Progressive PartyMoses “parts” from the PPP.(PPP) Central Executive, saying that the current leadership has demonstrated the sort of pettiness, greed, corruption and arrogance that party founder, Dr Cheddi Jagan, fought against.However, Nagamootoo, 64, declined to say which political platform he would be standing on ahead of the November 28 polls.He was clear, though, that his political future would be with any movement that wants to get rid of the “winner takes all” system of governance.“I have always been committed to the formation in this country of broad coalitions that work for common goals and I believe someday this country will see and must see a government of national unity,” Nagamootoo said at the Georgetown office from which he runs his legal practice.The Alliance for Change (AFC) has offered certain “proposals” for the now former PPP executive to join its camp, but Nagamootoo would not be drawn into making any declarations of support for that party or any other.However, he said that his “trophy” for standing up for his principles was seeing that over 1,000 persons attended an AFC meeting at his paternal home village of Whim on the Corentyne Coast – an area that has traditionally been a stronghold of the PPP.Nagamootoo said the meeting was a convergence of villagers from nearby Afro and Indo-Guyanese villages and he was “rewarded” in that the people said they “wanted” him.“They came to show that race didn’t matter. What they want to show is support for someone they believe they know, they believe they can trust in, and who they believe had political integrity,” he declared.Nagamootoo said that the current elections should be about issues that appeal to people’s minds,Tottenham Shirt 2018/19, and not a “bacchanal” that appeals to the emotions of people.The PPP said that Nagamootoo’s resignation was no surprise as he has not been participating in the party’s activities for a while.A release from Freedom House, the PPP headquarters, said that Nagamootoo’s dissatisfaction with the party was heightened after he failed to secure any support for his bid as the Presidential Candidate of the PPP/C for the 2011 elections.“Today’s action by Nagamootoo was predictable given his longstanding public dissatisfaction at not being supported by the membership and leadership for his bid as the Presidential Candidate, his efforts to secure a spot in Government in 2005 and the membership’s non-support for him to be a member of the Executive Committee following his withdrawal from the body in 2005,” the PPP stated.At his press conference, Nagamootoo said that he was “not bitter as a person” but rather that he had fought for a democratic process in the selection of the presidential candidate.He said that his support among the party base was strong, noting that at the 2008 party congress, when he was not even a servingMoses Nagamooto, with wife Sita, displays his first party membership card.Government minister, he was among the Top Five vote getters.However, he said that it was the work of a cabal at the leadership level that sought to sledge-hammer him out of the party and throw him to the “dog hut.”“I am amazed, that we could have allowed the undermining of a democratic process in a glorious party to which I had belonged, the PPP, with a fine tradition of revolutionary and progressive behaviour to come to this,” he stated.Nagamootoo requested that the PPP refrain from further using speeches and interviews from previous campaigns, and distorting them to “fool his supporters and the Guyanese electorate that I am campaigning in 2011 for the PPP/C.”He said that his 2006 speech at Good Hope, when he gave the party another shot, was being shown on state-owned TV in Berbice. During 2004-2006, serious disagreements over corruption and national policies led to his withdrawal from the party leadership, but he returned to the 2006 elections platform to preserve party unity, “and to defend the gains we have made from struggles and sacrifices of our supporters.”Nagamootoo said that he called the PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar to say that the airing of his 2006 rally speech was dishonest and obscene as it sought to create the impression that he was currently campaigning for the party.Nagamootoo became a member of the PPP back in October, 1964 and went through the ranks to become Vice-Chairman of the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO), Secretary of the National Students Committee, Member of the PPP Central/Executive Committees and Secretariat; and Member of Parliament/Minister of Government.“The best years were those that I spent in struggle at the side of Cheddi Jagan, for which I feel pride. So, today, I walk with clean hands and a clear conscience,” Nagamootoo declared.Nagamootoo became a thorn in the flesh of the PPP when he started to take a consistent stand over “erosion of internal party democracy, corrupt practices, security lapses and arrogant, autocratic leadership.”“I stand by every single word that I had uttered in 2006 – that the PPP was my home; that we shared a vision for the future based on Cheddi Jagan’s core principles, which could be summarized in two words – ‘lean and ‘clean.’“Unfortunately, the leadership has betrayed its promises as well as these values.“As much as I loved our ‘home,’ there was just no space for me to help make it accountable, responsible and free from corruption.”Nagamootoo said that he could no longer “in good conscience” remain on the Central Committee or serve as a party member.“I will not condone or be a part of any bullying, corruption and authoritarianism, more especially when these decaying practices emerged inside the organization to which I had dedicated all my life and to which I have given my finest efforts as activist, journalist and Government Minister,” he stated.Nagamootoo’s wife, Sita, a retired head teacher and lecturer at the Government teacher’s training college, sat in on the press conference. She was also a longtime member of the PPP, and did not support his decision to return to the party for the 2006 elections.“Since I first entered politics in 1961, I am proud that I took the stand that I did, against dictatorship, for unity, democracy, press freedom and good governance. I am grateful to my parents, who endured the sacrifice; and to my wife and children, who suffered for it.“I promise to work with all patriots to bring healing, unity and lasting peace to our nation; to make our country grow, and to provide bread with equality and justice for all our people; to meaningfully help the poor, powerless and marginalized, and give hope and security to our new generation.” |
