Political Challengers Offer Promises To Guyanese Voters

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The two main challengers for the post of President of Guyana, Sunday, offered a host of promises to the electorate as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country gears to elect a new head of state and government on May 11.

Incumbent president, Donald Ramotar, seeking to extend the 22 year reign of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), told supporters that the country had prospered tremendously under a PPP/C administration and urged them to return it to power.

“We have come a far way in Guyana. We have become the envy of many…we have a far way to go…this is why I ask you, collectively and individually, to stand with me. The PPP/C has stood for 65 years with the Guyanese people…I appeal to you to stand with me, stand with Elisabeth Harper (prime ministerial candidate) and let us take our country forward,” Ramotar told jubilant supporters in Kitty.

But the coalition alliance of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) used its rally in Corentyne to unveil several new policies it would implement if elected to office.

“I have come back to Corentyne with a sense of vision to clean up this mess that the PPP has left,” said the coalition presidential candidate, David Granger.

The coalition told supporters that the new government would increase the old age pension, ensure the survival of the sugar industry, set a date for the long overdue local government elections, as well as increase public servants salaries by 10 percent.

Ramotar told supporters that that the past three years had not been easy, describing them as “trying years.

“…we do not want to be in power and not deliver to the Guyanese people. Power is a means to an end, and the end is to ensure that every Guyanese has a comfortable life,” he said, criticizing the opposition for using their one seat majority in the 65-member National assembly to stymie the government.

“These are the same people who are asking for your votes,” he said, outlining many social programs that his administration had been able to implement.

“We will continue to take these programs to all parts of our country…the quality of life is definitely improving in every area of our country and the PPP/C did that with no cooperation from the Opposition; in fact with terrible opposition from them,” he said.

“We have to make our country ready…we have to prepare people for what progress will bring,” he said, adding, “over the last three years, every year we have had good economic growth…we have had many successes.

“We still achieved quite a lot. If we had the majority in parliament, we would have won much more…. I promise you when we win back the majority in parliament, you will see how far we will go,” Ramotar said.

But the coalition prime ministerial candidate, Moses Nagamootoo, urged the population not to fall for the promises of the government, instead predicting that in the first 100 days of being elected to office, the coalition would increase old age pension to GUY$15,000 (One Guyana dollar =US$0.004 cents) monthly, as well as give public servants a 10 percent wage hike.

He promised lands would be provided for agricultural activities in Corentyne, while AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan, assured supporters that the sugar cane industry would not be closed under a coalition administration.

“We are not going to in any way close the sugar industry. If it is anybody that has brought it to the ground, it is the People’s Progressive Party,” he said, promising that the existing board of “politicos” would be removed and replaced with professionals.

Ramjattan said that emphasis would also be placed on the proper marketing of the sugar industry, as he blamed the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) over its failure to take advantage of a price of US$780 per ton for the commodity.

He said GUYSUCO settled for US$380 per ton “because of that reckless almost criminal act by board members.”

In urging the supporters to “put in a government that cares about the Corentyne,” Granger also promised to end piracy and improve police response to emergency calls.

April 7 is nomination day for the elections.