Ramjattan expelled from PPP
`Regrettably, and having regard to Cde. Ramjattan's longstanding and deliberate disregard for Party rules and his clear intention to continue doing so, the Executive Committee was forced to terminate the Party's relationship with Cde. Ramjattan.' - PPP Central Committee

This decision was announced yesterday at a press conference hosted by the PPP at its Robb Street Freedom House Headquarters at which Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Ms. Gail Teixeira, who is also an executive member of the party, presided. She was flanked by several leading members of the central committee.

Ms. Teixeira deputised for the PPP's General Secretary, Mr. Donald Ramotar who is currently in Ethiopia.

Ramjattan, who is the current President of the Guyana Bar Association (GBA), had been at odds with the party for some time because of an article he wrote in one of the daily newspapers criticising it.

The party accused Ramjattan of attacking it outside of its structure, which is a violation of party rules and morality, failing to exhaust the internal mechanisms of the party to ventilate his grievances.

His alleged violations were under examination by the disciplinary committee of the PPP.

In addition, Ramjattan has been contending that President Bharrat Jagdeo at a central committee meeting on January 31 last had accused him of passing information to the US Embassy. This contention was supported by former Information Minister Moses Nagamootoo who is also a central committee member.

However, the party has stoutly denied that the President made such an accusation, and subsequently, 29 members of the central committee who were present at the January 31 meeting signed a petition by denying that the President had accused Ramjattan of passing information to the US Embassy.

The text of the opening statement at the press conference reads:

In its deliberations, the Executive Committee noted that Cde. Ramjattan's public criticisms and accusations against Party and Government leaders and their policies commenced shortly after the PPP/C Government took office in 1992 and continued with regularity. As a result of these public criticisms and attacks, he was repeatedly summoned before representatives of the Executive Committee to answer charges made against him for being in breach of party rules.

In those meetings, we have always made it clear to Cde. Ramjattan that there is no rule against Party members giving their views in public. We have constantly stressed that the Party respects his right of free speech as it does for every other member. In fact, the Party was responsible for restoring free speech and other fundamental rights to Guyana. However, as a leading member of the Party holding a seat on the Central Committee, his responsibilities need to be discharged in a manner that does not denigrate Party and Government leaders or bring Party and Government policies into disrepute. Free speech did not mean that he could deliberately ignore his obligation to adhere to Party rules and that some degree of commitment to collective decision making processes which is an important hallmark of all organisations, voluntarily or otherwise, was essential.

On every occasion that complaints were made to Cde. Ramjattan, he expressed regret and undertook to abide by the rules and practices of the Party. These commitments were never honoured.

On 29th January, 2004, the General Secretary of the Party wrote Cde. Ramjattan expressing alarm that he had displayed contempt for the Party by alleging that the last Congress was undemocratic even though his views were fully discussed and defeated by delegates in an open vote.

Several other issues were raised in the letter and he was invited to a meeting to answer allegations that he was engaged in activities detrimental to the interests of the Party.

At that meeting on the 6th February, 2004, Cde. Ramjattan was accused of disparaging the internal decision making process of the Party of attacking Congress decisions and describing them as being undemocratic and attacking Party leaders.

At the meeting, the atmosphere of which was fraternal and conducive to a resolution of all differences, Cde. Ramjattan declared that his public and expressed positions were not intended as attacks on the Party or it leaders. He expressed regret and undertook to develop better relations with other Party leaders and comrades in order to resolve differences.

He agreed to cease all public attacks on the Party, Government and their leaders, to use internal party bodies to express differences and to abide by the Party rules and practices. A copy of the Executive Committee's letter of 11th February, 2004 is enclosed.

As a result of these commitments made by Cde. Ramjattan, the Executive Committee decided to ask him to issue a statement consistent with his commitments.

The Executive Committee also determined that any further infractions would be met by expulsion. His views on the Executive Committee's proposals and draft statement were to be received at its meeting on 13th February, 2004, before the meeting, on the 10th February, 2004, he deliberately, blatantly and in violation of his commitments and of Party rules and practices, issued a public statement challenging denials that certain allegations were made against him. The issue of the statement was deliberately designed to derail the process of reconciliation decided upon by the Executive Committee and to withdraw his commitments.

It was also intended as a message to the Executive Committee that he never intended and did not intend to abide by his commitments or Party rules and practices. And would not be bound by them. Cde. Ramjattan had the opportunity at the Executive Committee meeting on the 6th February, 2004, to raise the issue of his divergent views concerning deliberations at the meeting of the Central Committee on the 31st January, 2004, because on the 3rd February, 2004 Cde. Donald Ramotar, the General Secretary denied the press reports. He did not do so but chose to return to his well established conduct of disregard for the Party, its leaders and its rules.

He knew that his statement of 10th February 2004 was in clear violation of Party rules because he said in the Statement that he will not allow Party rules to "crib" him into not defending himself.

Regrettably, and having regard to Cde. Ramjattan's longstanding and deliberate disregard for Party rules and his clear intention to continue doing so, the Executive Committee was forced to terminate the Party's relationship with Cde. Ramjattan. A copy of our letter dated 13th February, 2004, informing Cde. Ramjattan of the decision of the Executive Committee is attached herewith."

`I feel bitter' - Ramjattan
By Chamanlall Naipaul
ATTORNEY-at-Law and President of the Guyana Bar Association (GBA), Khemraj Ramjattan feels that his expulsion from the People's Progressive Party (PPP) is a show of ingratitude to him "to the highest extent" for the contributions he has made to the local political struggle and the development of the PPP.

Speaking with the Sunday Chronicle yesterday shortly after the PPP's announcement of his expulsion, Ramjattan said: "I feel bitter."

Asked if he would continue an active political life by becoming a member of another political party, he replied that he would remain active in politics, but will not join forces with any other political party because his differences are with the leadership of the party.

He said he is still committed to the membership of the PPP.

"I will stick with the membership. I am not a kangaroo. I will not become an opponent of the PPP," Ramjattan said.

Ramjattan insisted that he would still be holding on to his seat in Parliament, but opined that he is certain moves will be made to have him removed.

According to him, the party's constitution allows him to appeal the expulsion decision at congress and he said he intends to pursue this course at the next congress of the party.

He feels that in these days of liberal democracy, party leaders' "skin should be thick enough to take criticism."

Ramjattan also feels his business associate in law, former Information Minister Mr. Moses Nagamootoo, would eventually be expelled because he corroborated with him on the issue that President Bharrat Jagdeo accused him (Ramjattan) of passing information to the US Embassy.

Responding to the petition signed by 29 members of the central committee of the party denying that the President made the accusation, Ramjattan contended that many of them were pressured into doing so through threats of losing their respective portfolios or jobs.

Sunday, February 15, 2004