—President Ali appeals to electorate, warns of jeopardising progress made
PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali has made a clarion call for continued stability and responsible leadership as Guyana approaches its next general election.
Speaking during a Tuesday morning broadcast, the Head of State drew a pointed comparison between the well-known fable of the Ant and the Grasshopper and the current political landscape, framing the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) as the prudent ant and opposition parties as the frivolous grasshopper.
“We have brought you economic growth. We brought you widespread development. We are building a social safety net, and we are doing so responsibly and stably,” Dr. Ali said.
He continued, “Those many groups that we are running against are like the grasshopper; they are promising you all kind of things, irresponsible things to make you happy now.”
The government, he pointed out, has built thousands of kilometres of new roads, hundreds of bridges, increased scholarship opportunities.
In his remarks, President Ali defended the PPP/C’s track record on economic management and social development, referencing tangible improvements across communities.
“We’ve enhanced the experience of communities with beautification projects, new parks, investment in community centres, recreational facilities, creating safe spaces for families to grow and enjoy and live together,” he stated.
EDUCATION REVOLUTION
Zeroing on the government policy and investments in the Education sector, President Ali noted that the government has made significant investments in the human capital of the country, ensuring that all Guyanese have access to tertiary education.
“We graduated over 30,000 with certificate, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degree and even doctorate degree. UG (University of Guyana) is now free for every Guyanese to pursue their dreams. The Education Revolution is one that we have ushered in.”
Furthermore, educators have also experienced salary increases, he noted.
WORLD CLASS HEALTHCARE
The government, he reminded, is building out ‘safety nets’ for citizens to have access to the necessary services required for a prosperous life.
To this end, he reminded of the investments made to build and upgrade health facilities across the country.
“We have built hundreds of hospitals, clinics and facilities, some either open or under construction,” he said.
He pointed to the ongoing partnership with Mount Sinai and Northwell to bring specialist doctors and nurses to Guyana.
Aside from this, the government has introduced various health grants to support those who may require special test, scans and treatments to ease the financial burden.
Some of these include grants for eye examination, cervical cancer screening and dialysis treatment.
Dr. Ali warned against complacency or being swayed by populist promises, urging the electorate to consider the importance of steady governance. “Now is not the time to tear it apart. Now is not the time to risk it. This is a time for strong, trusted, stable, competent, visionary leadership, and that is what the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic offers.”
The President also sought to temper expectations around Guyana’s burgeoning oil economy, cautioning that wealth creation depends on more than resource extraction. “Oil alone does not translate into wealth,” he said. “The choices we make, the policies we pursue, the ambitions we have for our people, the investments we make, the way in which we invest in our people, and the choices in which we give them, the way in which we grow wealth and grow opportunities, expand businesses, diversified economy and support job creation, the way in which we approach taxation, all of this backed by democratic credentials are important for us to have a strong, stable and viable country.”
Speaking candidly about his political opponents, President Ali noted that citizens are rightfully concerned about their security and national security, adding that his Government has been investing in the security architecture to make citizens safe, while working with the international partners, like the United States of America to secure Guyana’s borders.
““We must understand that one of our greatest threats is Venezuela. And to fight this threat, it requires diplomacy. It requires partnership. And one of our greatest partners is the United States. We can’t risk our relationship with the United States, who have already said to us that they have serious national security concerns about individuals. One such individual believes that he can sacrifice the safety and security of an entire country for his self-interest.”
He noted too the opposing parties have failed to highlight plans and programmes aimed at building a sustainable future but are simply offering promises.
To this end, he reminded of the failures of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) during their tenure in office.