Dr. Richard Van-West Charles last Thursday affirmed that the task of the Alliance For Change is not to simply remove the PPP/C from office but to rebuild Guyana for citizens so they can live in unity as well.
Addressing about 100 persons at AFC meeting at Bourda, Dr. Van-West Charles stated that in order for progress to be apparent, there is need to demonstrate to the world that Guyana has a united people who can live in harmony.
He said further that the 16% value added tax (VAT) which was implemented by the government has provided hardships for many people and therefore the AFC intends to reduce the VAT immediately to 12%.
“The AFC had said that the pain a mother feels, they will get a release and we want to ensure that every family, every child has the opportunity to become what he/she dreams to become,” he said.
Van-West Charles, a former minister of health in the PNC government who recently joined the AFC campaign, noted too that the disciplined services are an important part of the society and the AFC understands that these forces are a necessity for an orderly society. He indicated that police officers require more training and more laboratories, adding that because of little investment in this area drug trafficking has spread and this is destroying the youths.
A recent proposal of the PPP/C, Van-West Charles said, for the improvement of the police force was a contract for US$90,000 which will be used for their development. “What can US$90,000 do to modernize the police force at this stage?” Van-West Charles challenged.
He went on to declare that the AFC intends to establish a developmental bank to assist small business owners in bettering their enterprises.
“The AFC will be your partner in development… it will walk side by side with you to ensure that you can go and create the wealth for yourself that you are self-respected and therefore that we grow the economy in this country,” he stated.
Also addressing last evening’s forum was AFC’s financial consultant, Saisnarine Singh, who stated that Guyana’s economy remains the most urgent challenge. Over the last ten years, he said, Guyana’s economic growth was averaging a paltry 1.6%, adding that “still Jagdeo jump up and tek off he clothes and saying that he doing well for you.”
He reiterated that it was AFC’s presidential candidate Khemraj Ramjattan’s indication of a 20% salary increase for public servants which prompted President Jagdeo’s recent decision to offer an 8% increase.
He said “The Alliance For Change has made it a policy that we will be offering sugar workers, nurses, teachers, public servants but especially members of the joint services… 20% in January 2012,” Singh declared.
He noted that A Partnership for National Unity cannot win this year’s election and a vote for APNU “guarantees five years of Donald Ramotar.”
He indicated, however, that if it won the election, the AFC will reach out to APNU and the PPP and acquire the best representatives from both of these parties.
Meanwhile, Denise Walcott, another member of the AFC, told those who had gathered that education is a tool for achieving economic and social development and improving the standard of living.
Also, she said, this tool is used to suppress and insult others, noting that this is what the PPP has been doing.
Making reference to the “No child left behind” policy, she explained that this is no way of promoting the education system in Guyana but instead it would create a large group of people who can be easily manipulated.
“Now, I have a problem with this policy…it is doing no good for this system…they are simply implementing a new form of slavery and suppression and skulduggery,” she noted.
Walcott stated that the AFC is now faced with the challenge of rebuilding Guyana and in order to do this, she said, citizens have to assist by placing their X by the key come November 28.
“We plan to take control of the educational system and make it functional,” she said, adding that equal access will be offered with the establishment of technical training in every school.
She added that the University of Guyana will be made a major research centre while job creation will be promoted through vocational and business schools.
Meanwhile, AFC presidential candidate Ramjattan, the final speaker, stated that since the death of former President Cheddi Jagan, the PPP has “had in their DNA greed”, citing the expected pension package created for Jagdeo, which he said is an indication of the president’s love for money.
“$3M, being a $100,000 a day at the age of 47…for the rest of his life, coming out of taxpayers’ money. You got to be really (uncaring) for a country as poor as Guyana to demand that kind of money,” Ramjattan stated.
He added that ordinary citizens, on the other hand, must wait until the age of 65 to receive only $250 a day.
Ramjattan also flayed Jagdeo over what he described as his recent vulgar behaviour at PPP rallies where there was much “blackballing”.
“That is not the quality of president we would want to have but of course, we have him and we want to bring an end to that quality,” Ramjattan asserted.
