Expelled People's Progressive Party (PPP) member, Khemraj Ramjattan is mulling three options open to him and remains firm in his decision not to relinquish his parliamentary seat.

The Executive Committee (Exco) of the PPP expelled Ramjattan, by virtue of a letter which he received Friday night, for publicly insisting that President Bharrat Jagdeo accused him of leaking information to the US embassy and the media.

The following day, Exco member and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Gail Teixeira, formally announced Ramjattan's expulsion from the party at a press conference held at Freedom House.

"...The Executive Committee was forced to conclude that Mr. Ramjattan has no intention of abiding by the minimum rules and standards necessary to sustain his membership of the party," Teixeira had stated, reading from a prepared text.

Teixeira had also said that recall legislation to give parties the right to recall MPs from the benches is currently being looked at.

But Ramjattan had expressed his intention of remaining in parliament saying that he had the support of many persons in this regard.

Ramjattan, in a telephone interview with Stabroek News last evening, reaffirmed his decision when he asserted: "...as I have said I will not resign. When parliament sits, tomorrow and whenever, I'll be there."

Relevant to the actual expulsion, Ramjattan has examined his choices and has opted to take the matter before the party's Congress which he said is expected to come up in two years.

Additionally, Ramjattan can appeal the Exco's decision before the party's Central Committee (CC) but he pointed out that were he to do so, the results are not likely to be in his favour since more than 29 CC members have openly taken a position against him.

Twenty-nine members of the PPP's central committee affixed their signatures to a press statement last week which said: "We, the undersigned members present at the meeting of Freedom House [of January 31] categorically state that neither President Jagdeo nor any other member accused Khemraj Ramjattan of giving information to any foreign embassy or mission."

Another route Ramjattan can explore is that of taking the matter before the Court.

"I can also go to Court for wrongful expulsion from the PPP...however, I will never carry my party to Court but an option is carrying those 29 and probably other persons to court."

Ramjattan has been at the centre of a public row with the PPP following the January 31 meeting after he said the president had accused him of leaking information to the US embassy. The President had denied Ramjattan's accusation through his Information Liason Robert Persaud and PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar had buttressed Jagdeo's denial during a television programme.

However, Ramjattan had held his position and was subsequently supported by Moses Nagamootoo, another PPP CC member, in a public statement.

But the statement by the 29 signatories had dubbed the claims by Ramjattan and Nagamootoo as "false and malicious."

After the statement was issued Ramjattan had said he would resign from the CC. He had deferred his decision the following day after a meeting at Freedom House saying that he was awaiting the decision of a disciplinary hearing of the PPP.

Ramjattan had appeared in the disciplinary hearing on February 6 but no decision had been made.

It is unclear if Nagamootoo will face disciplinary action as a result of his stance in supporting Ramjattan's version.