Settling the succession
Editorial
President Janet Jagan in performing her presidential duties since December 1997 has maintained a pace that many men fifteen years younger might have found taxing. In addition, she has had to withstand unbearable political pressures in which, for a long while, she was the personal focus of a great deal of hostility. Given the fact that her health had, at the outset, been far from perfect it is not surprising that she has recently experienced pain and discomfort, perhaps a warning sign that she has been trying to do much too much. When she is well enough to resume her duties it must be hoped that her Cabinet can persuade her to accept a less arduous schedule, not involving so much travel and physical strain. Her illness has posed once again the unresolved question of the political succession in the People's Progressive Party which she and her late husband were mainly instrumental in starting nearly fifty years ago. The question surfaced with the untimely death of Dr. Jagan in 1997 and was solved after some delay with her appointment as a presidential candidate. Given her age, it was clear that that was a compromise, based on a desire to hold the party together and keep the Jagan name in the forefront. Her recent setback makes it clear that the party will have to go about the business of finding a successor sooner rather than later. It had appeared before the last elections that Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, the third member of the party's electoral 'A' team, had been identified as her successor. Though approved at a party congress that appointment had never been popular with some of the more senior members of the party, including those who themselves nursed ministerial presidential ambitions. Now it seems that at a central committee on Saturday here was a widespread feeling that the 'A' team formula was no longer viable. Mr. Jagdeo was much criticised for his performance, and the two who seemed to emerge as the main candidates for the succession were Mr. Ralph Ramkarran, a central committee member, senior counsel and currently Chairman of the Constitutional Reform Commission and Mr. Moses Nagamootoo, long time party activist and central committee member, now Minister of Information. There was no formal discussion of the succession, however, and it is clear that Mrs. Jagan's views will be of crucial, if not decisive, importance as they were on the previous occasion. It would presumably make sense to settle the issue while there is no real urgency rather than leave it to be decided in a crisis if anything untoward should subsequently happen to Mrs. Jagan. Certainly it will have to be decided before the next elections as it seems most unlikely that she can bear the strain of another campaign. The party will want someone who is widely respected, in and perhaps also outside of the party, and who will have the capacity both to hold the party together and to be seen as a credible president (and presidential candidate), able to withstand the challenges from new political forces outside the party but appealing directly to their traditional constituency. Immediately, it remains to be seen how soon President Jagan can resume her duties. She can, of course, under the constitution appoint someone to carry on during her illness and until she recovers fully. She would presumably appoint Prime Minister Sam Hinds though under Article 96 she can appoint any member of the Cabinet. If she is able to resume her duties soon this will not be necessary. 
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