Dear Editor,
Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, in his New Year’s message, screamed that “… his party will be relentless in ensuring the fair and equitable allocation of the nation’s resources to its citizens.” He detailed that “We believe that we need an approach that ensures our people benefit from our resources. (And) To this end, we have advocated for a people-centred development in which the allocation of resources in our society is aimed at reducing and ultimately eliminating poverty and giving our people a better quality of life.” Well! Well!
For starters, Mr. Norton’s ranting is as empty as it is loud. The very things he is claiming he will advocate for are the said ones that have been pioneering and are still being pioneered by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) since August 2020. For example, it is well established and fresh in the mind, that the PPP/C made unprecedented input and visits to places like southern Georgetown, Mocha/Arcadia, Linden, Buxton, Golden Grove and Melanie Damishana. These, as we are seeing today, have translated into meeting community needs such as improved roads, bridges, potable water supply, access to agricultural lands, and the resolution of long-standing land issues. In fact, so over-reaching the Government of the day have been, that it comes over as though they are neglecting their traditional Indo-based enclaves. Obviously Mr. Norton is choosing to ignore evidence debunking his intimation that there is discrimination in the practice of the PPP/C.
Editor, the Opposition Leader, in his 2023 message, meandered into a lot of stuff in a most cursorial manner, and I will not waste my time on his vacuous ramblings, which do not even constitute a proper accusation. However, I must address his covert accusation that is couched in his statement that “… what Guyana needs is a government with a ‘vision and a plan’ that cares for the people of Guyana. This, he said, is what the next APNU+AFC Government will offer the people of Guyana in 2025 or whenever elections are called.”
Is this an attempt to be funny?
I remind Norton that A Partnership For National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) left Guyana in ‘hell’ when they were legally forced to leave office after failed attempts to rig the 2020 Guyana Elections. In a nut-shell, where Guyana was in 2020, to where it is now, reflects “… a government with a ‘vision and a plan’ that cares for the people of Guyana”.
I conclude my agreeing with him that “… Guyana can become one of the best countries to live in and can become the envy of the world as the country where citizens have opportunities to realize their full political, social, and economic potential.” Alas, this will only be realised under the aegis of the current PPP/C Government, under the robust leadership of President Dr. Irfaan Ali. Afterall, the country’s economy is one of the fastest growing in the world with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 19.9% in 2021. It got better, in spite of the burden of external shocks and domestic challenges, as Guyana was able to maintain its position as a global leader in economic growth, with its massive expansion of the economy in the first half of 2022. In fact, according to the 2022 Mid-Year Report, Guyana recorded an overall real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 36.4 per cent.
Yours truly,
H. Singh
