By Jeff Trotman
Prime ministerial candidate for the PPP/C Elisabeth Harper reaffirmed her commitment to women’s rights at a campaign rally in Linden on Sunday.
“As Prime Minister of Guyana, I would work with President Ramotar and with Cabinet along with other stakeholders to ensure that the progress made in the past two decades in empowering Guyanese women and girls is safeguarded and further enhanced,” Harper told the gathering which applauded and made remarks of approval during her half hour address at Lieukenpen Corner, Silvertown, Wismar.
“They got nothing on her,” Master of Ceremonies Juan Edghill said in introducing the PPP/C prime ministerial candidate to the podium. “She clean like a whistle,” he added, stating that he has known her for years and that “she is bright, disciplined and well cultured.”
Amidst rapturous app-lause and shouts from members of the audience that they loved her, Harper began her address by telling her audience that she loved them too and that she wanted Lindeners and the people of Region Ten to understand that she represented all facets of the Guyanese woman in that she is a mother, a wife, a sister, a friend, a working woman and a woman, who is totally dedicated to her family. She said that her mother lived at 392 Mora Street, Mackenzie when she worked at the bauxite company from 1947 to 1956.
She said that as a woman she can attest to the importance of a strong family not only to support women in their aspirations but the family is one of the pillars on which stable societies are built. She affirmed: “As women, we embrace our men as equal partners and we encourage you men to support us.”
According to her, the PPP/C has always placed credence on the critical role that women can play and should play in Guyana’s nation building process. Referring to the party’s list of candidates, Harper said: “Our party believes in the full respect for human rights, in particular, the rights of women – our right to choose and be involved in the political life of our country. Our right to a fair and decent work and equal pay and our right to further education to develop our careers, to have businesses and to be fully respected in our homes.”
Noting that many young people were at the rally, the PPP/C prime ministerial candidate said that she had observed their enthusiasm and eager faces and she told them that they are one of the most valuable assets of our nation and that the PPP/C is committed to fully engaging young people in the decision making process.
“We want to encourage you to stay and help build Guyana,” she said, adding that the PPP/C manifesto includes encouraging assistance for employment for young people and for more meaningful interaction and dialogue that the administration could hear and discuss the views and concerns of young people “so that together we can go forward with full decision with you on board”.
Potential
The PPP/C Prime Ministerial candidate said she toured a number of business places on a recent visit to Linden and she was particularly impressed by the Toucan Call Centre, which employs a number of young people and has obvious potential for expanded growth. She said it is operated by Caricom nationals from St. Kitts and Nevis, which is a tangible demonstration of the benefits of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) and Guyana has much more to gain in this regard.
Harper said she also met the project coordinator for Youth Vision an NGO that helps young people to be empowered through various programmes and vocational training, which is in line with the vision of the PPP/C of developing entrepreneurial skills in the country’s young people through training programmes in which youths from all ten administrative regions are offered the opportunity to have a second chance in specific skills. She added: “The technical institutes including the one in Linden will be specifically targeted….”
She said that the PPP/C is aware that more can always be done to increase opportunities in communities across the country. Consequently, its manifesto has placed emphasis in Linden and Region Ten in the following areas: create a special development fund for Region Ten, patterned off the Special Development Fund for Amerindians to create jobs and job creation activities; establish a regional sports facility in Linden; ICT Park and infrastructure will be established across the country and Linden and Region Ten will be beneficiaries of this initiative; strengthen the capacity of the Linden Hospital Complex and district hospitals to reduce the number of referrals to the Georgetown Public Hospital, particularly concerning pregnancy cases.
Intervention
She said new, strategically located hospitals, hospital wards, health centres, polyclinics and training facilities will be built, equipped and staffed to improve the capacity and quality of health care across the country including, the establishment of sub regional diagnostic centres in the hinterland areas of Regions One, Seven, Eight and Ten in the Berbice River.
If returned to office, she said, her administration will recruit foster families and promote the foster care programme as well as establish a programme for single parents to be assisted and supported so that they can receive further training. She stressed that her administration will ensure that daycare service is provided for employed single parents. She emphasized that her administration will make sure that those single parents, who are supported through the courts, get their money.
She said retirement homes for senior citizens will be established in the regions and that a new PPP/C government will ensure the promotion of the rights of persons, who are differently abled as well as establish a special victims unit to process reports with confidentiality to ensure that people are confident of reporting incidences of abuse without being ridiculed and without their evidence being compromised.
“We will create regional solid waste landfill sites across the administrative regions from Region Two to Ten and two new state-of-the-art and environmentally friendly water treatment plants will be completed in Linden at Amelia’s Ward and Wisroc along with the installation of transmission mains and upgrading of distribution systems. These interventions will significantly improve the quality of work and level of service to the entire population of Linden,” Harper said.
“The government has been pursuing its development objectives with the assistance of our regional and international partners and we will continue to build on these relations” since the PPP/C remains steadfast in its commitment to economic and social advancement in all of the communities of Guyana. She also acknowledged the contribution of the Linden Diaspora to their hometown, in particular, and the country in general and the PPP/C aims to influence greater involvement of the Diaspora in local development initiatives.
