…he never raised corruption during Presidential bid—says statement The ruling party yesterday went on the offensive against outspoken, former Central Executive Member and party stalwart Ralph Ramkarran, questioning the timing of accusations of corruption in Government.The statement by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) comes just two weeks before the party’s all important first National Congress in five years. The choosing of new leaders will be one of the highpoints of the party which took power in 1992 but failed to secure a Parliamentary majority for the first time in its reign, in the 2011 elections.Ralph RamkarranRamkarran, a prominent lawyer who served as Speaker of the National Assembly for two terms and was set to return following the 2011 elections, lost that position to Raphael Trotman, an opposition-nominated candidate.He resigned last year June from the party,Wholesale Hockey Jerseys China, a few weeks after penning a critical note on corruption. Ramkarran has since been writing on his website, conversationtree.gy, penning among others, one piece entitled “The Kleptocratic Republic of Guyana” in which he accused the government of corruption.Ramkarran and his family have been around for decades in the party’s hierarchy.He has been with the party since 1962,China NFL Jerseys, becoming a Central Committee member in 1974 and a member of the Central Executive in 1975. He had left Guyana in 1972 to pursue further studies overseas.His father, Boysie Ramkarran, was a founder member of the PPP, having been a member of the Public Affairs Committee,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, the forerunner of the PPP.? Ramkarran was one of two persons in the upper level of the party who never worked with government and is a principal figure in Cameron and Shepherd Law Firm.Recently the party accused Ramkarran and others of attempting to influence the upcoming congress by their writings in the press.Yesterday, the PPP in hitting back at the former senior party official pointed out that Ramkarran had made a bid to become the Presidential Candidate of the party in the 2011 elections…the same party he is now accusing of corruption.“His profound vitriol against leaders of the PPP makes one wonder why was this not exposed when he was one such leader and contesting for the Presidency in 2011.? Why was this aspect of his moral position not revealed during his bid for the Presidential candidacy?? In fact, why would one want to be a presidential candidate for a party he has now described in such disparaging terms and accused of such dastardly acts?”The PPP also wondered what would have happened had Ramkarran won the Presidency.“One can draw no other conclusion as to wonder whether we would have had to wait at least another five years of silence had he won the Party 2011 Presidential Candidate nomination, and possibly the Presidency, for the disclosures he is now making.”A relevant RamkarranThe statement said that since his departure from active politics and from the ranks of the leadership of the governing PPP/C, Ramkarran has done his utmost to remain relevant.Making it clear that Ramkarran is “all pretence”, the party said that in 1997, “after unacceptable revelations he was not selected as the Party’s Presidential Candidate.?Subsequently, the party recognized and spoke appreciatively of his fortitude in returning to active leadership after that personal reversal. He also played a significant role in the constitution reform exercise, (1999 – 2001).”The party accused Ramkarran of being ambitious and showing this as early as 2006. “From 2006 to 2011,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, as Speaker, his ambitions resurfaced and were clearly enunciated — he was again aspiring to be the next President of Guyana and publicly strove to show that he was unique and different from other PPP members, definitely from its leadership of the PPP/C Administration and the PPP leadership. In February 2011, his bid for the PPP presidential candidacy was again lost.”At no point in time did Ramkarran,NFL Jerseys Cheap, in his bid to become Presidential Candidate of the party, raise the issue of corruption, the PPP said.“In fact,Cheap Hockey Jerseys, corruption of Government and party officials was not featured in the issues he was going to address were he to be?elected as the President.”SupportDespite not being elected Speaker in January last year, “the PPP and the PPP/C administration stood by him and exposed the opportunism of the opposition parties.?The PPP leadership did not waiver in its support for him. However, his end (departure) was inexplicable as it was sudden.”The statement said that one day, at an executive me