With overwhelming support, Khemraj Ramjattan yesterday won the leadership of the Alliance For Change (AFC) and was also endorsed as the party’s choice to be the prime ministerial candidate for governing coalition at the next general elections.
Ramjattan told reporters moments after the party’s National Conference ended that a large section of the membership felt that he was “fit and proper” to be the prime ministerial candidate.
Speaking to reporters in the compound of St. Paul’s Retreat Centre at Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara, Ramjattan said he galvanised support by giving good responses to questions that were put to him by party delegates. He said he made a promise that he would “do a good job of it” if he was made Prime Minister. “I had spoken to a number of delegates and they had asked some very searing questions. Quite frankly, I think I provided very good answers to them and that is primarily what caused them to vote for me,” he added.
Meanwhile, Patterson said that he didn’t believe that Nagamootoo’s decision to leave was in bad taste. “No, not at all,” he said before explaining the Nagamootoo had indicated from the outset that he didn’t want to influence the outcome and before he left “he gave us all a hug and said ‘good luck.’ Patterson indicated that he accepted Nagamootoo’s position.
Ramjattan said he did speak to Nagamootoo before he left. “He was most gracious…I hold him in tremendously high esteem. He has been a mentor since I was in PYO… and, of course, I regard him so highly and he came across and he gave me a big hug when he indicated that he was going to leave at this stage because it was getting very warm in there. And, of course, it was a very long day for him and he said, of course, that he has to go at this point in time,” he noted.
Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) this morning rejected arguments that former Government MP Charandass Persaud was constrained from voting against his list. President Adrian Saunders noted that nothing in the constitution prevents this and as such, his vote was and still is valid, hence the No confidence motion, the CCJ decided, was validly passed.
The CCJ today dismissed Government’s submission that 34 votes were needed to validly pass the No-confidence motion.
President Saunders noted that a majority of all elected members of Guyana’s National Assembly is clearly 33.
Submissions from the parties involved for the CCJ to issue consequential orders will be heard on June 24 at 2:00hrs. Also on the table will be discussions regarding the awarding of costs.
President Granger says he will still wait on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to complete House-to-House registration before announcing a date for early elections.
