“Don’t say another word,” was the instruction given by Bharrat Jagdeo, the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), to Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Jagdeo said he made sure that Ali, the party’s presidential candidate, would say no more about his credentials, when questioned by members of the media corps.
So Ali was tightlipped last Thursday, when he was questioned by the media about the authenticity of his qualifications. It was his first press conference since being elected as the party’s presidential candidate. Many had expected him to use the opportunity to clear the air on the controversy surrounding his credentials.
Instead, Ali continuously iterated, “I know that I’ve released my certificates. There is nothing more to
Presidential Candidate for the PPP, Mohamed Irfaan Ali
add.”
During the press conference, Ali was told that the lack of clarity about his qualifications placed an air of doubt on his credibility as a candidate. He said that he has no qualms with the lack of clarity on the issue.
“I can’t speak for the clarity [the media] has,” he said. “I don’t know how much more clarity the media can get.”
He said that he had provided all the information necessary to verify his qualifications’ authenticity, but it was revealed that it was actually Jagdeo who told him not to speak further on the issue.
Ali was asked about a qualification he supposedly received from an obscure West Coast Demerara institution, the Chamber Business School. He had used that paper to apply for matriculation to his Master’s Degree at the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in India.
Earlier this year, Ali’s qualifications were exposed as questionable. The Presidential hopeful has been unable to provide clarity about the first degree qualifying him for his Master’s Degree at the Indian university.
He had promised to provide transcripts from the universities, which he attended, but he has not done so.
Jagdeo said he told Ali “No matter what you do, you’re PPP. You’re the candidate. The hostile media and APNU will come after you. Don’t say another word.”
Jagdeo said this during a Town Hall meeting with Guyanese in Queens, New York.
Batting for the party’s Presidential candidate, he told the gathering that they should not worry about media reports questioning Ali’s qualifications; that he is surrounded by a team of competent, qualified individuals.
In fact, Jagdeo said, “I am chairing the manifesto committee”, which the party convened to compile policies for the development of the party’s elections manifesto. He said that that manifesto will state all the positions of the party, and that no one would be excused for departing from the party line – not even Ali.
“As general secretary, I’ll be one of the first persons, if he doesn’t follow the party programme, to be critical,” Jagdeo said.
Jagdeo told the Guyanese abroad that they should return to Guyana when it is time to vote, so that they could support the PPP/C and elect Ali as president.
That wasn’t the only destination the Opposition Leader ventured to, on his expedition to the US. He also went to Washington to speak to officials at multiple branches of government about the next General and Regional Election to occur in Guyana.
He reminded that the US Department of State released a statement weeks ago, that it would support the execution of free and fair elections in Guyana. So he went to stress to officials the importance of having free and fair elections, so that Guyana would have stronger US oversight into its electoral process.
Source: Kaieteur News