PPP’s early manifesto looks to stimulate national dialogue

Guyana’s single largest mass-based People’s Progressive Party (PPP), this past week broke with tradition to launch excerpts of its 2020 – 2025, social contract with the electorate, should it win Office at the upcoming Regional and General Elections.

Party leaders present for the launch at Freedom House noted that the early release of the excerpts of the manifesto is to facilitate public discussion on the social pact, ahead of a formal launch in January.
PPP Presidential Candidate Dr. Irfaan Ali, presented the manifesto at a packed Freedom House Hall, featuring party stalwarts and young leaders, in addition to General Secretary, Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo.

Unveiling “Our Plan for Prosperity” with the theme ‘Stronger together’ the PPP’s Presidential Candidate told supporters his party was looking to move away from making any sort of unrealistic promises, especially in light of the emerging oil and gas industry.

He said the party wanted to have its message out in the public domain in order that it be debated, concerns addressed and clarity sought by supporters, non-supporters and those that are still undecided among the electorate.
According to Dr. Ali, “to those who don’t support us or who would not have made up their minds as yet, we are committed to you.”

The Presidential Candidate was adamant, the plans that have been outlined in the party’s pre-manifesto have in fact been costed and that the technical work has already gone into its outlined projects so that they can be implemented at the earliest possible time when his party takes power at the March 2, 2020 General Elections.
According to Dr. Ali, the PPP’s 2020 to 2025 agenda would be pursued through a push for a stronger economy, community, political system and social justice.

PPP General Secretary, former president, Bharrat Jagdeo, in explaining the rationale behind the soft launch, pointed to the fact, “We have a bigger version of the manifesto that we intend to present to the people of the country and in that version you will have a deeper analysis of what was outlined here and some new policies.”

According to the former president, in the past political parties would launch manifestos a short time before the election, which leaves no real public discussion or debate on what is being presented by each of the parties looking to contest the elections.

He said, this was to avoid any technical interrogations of their proposed policies, something the PPP is looking to embrace through a more consultative process with stakeholders and civil society in finalising its final social contract.
Taking a swipe at the current administration, Jagdeo noted that if one were to peruse A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) manifesto at the last elections, many of the outlined plans were never manifested.

“So people are very skeptical about promises made in manifestos,” he said.
Party stalwart and long-standing PPP Chief Whip and former government minister, Gail Teixeira who moderated the Freedom House activity, in emphasising its ‘stronger together for a better Guyana’ theme, divulged that the consultative process for the crafting of the PPP’s manifesto commenced over a year ago.

She said, the party’s social contract was formulated with input from thousands of persons that would have contributed their ideas either through electrical formats of through several of the party’s stakeholder forums and outreaches.
“We believe that we have had the most consultative and democratic process in arriving at our vision.”

She said it was decided to release the pre-manifesto at this time since it is believed that the process was inclusive enough, “and that it was time we put forward our vision,” adding that it is hoped the document acts as the stimulus and provides an important contribution to the national political dialogue.