By Jared Liddell
“WE are targeting all Guyanese. We represent diversity; it underlines our modus operandi. We believe in inclusivity. We will not have the kind of system that Guyanese people have had to deal with in the past. Change Guyana pushes multi-ethnicity, multiculturalism and multi-racial beliefs not just in politics but in all of our operation.

We will not be strangulated by race or religion or economic status, geographic location, age or gender we are about inclusivity.” This was the statement made by Prime Ministerial candidate of ‘Change Guyana’, Nigel Hinds, minutes before handing over their List of candidates to GECOM on Nominations Day 2020 at the Umana Yana.

Change Guyana, one of the 16 new parties that was launched in Guyana during 2019 to contest the March 2020 elections, is headed by businessman Robert Badal, proprietor of the Pegasus Hotel and Guyana Stock Feeds Limited, who is contesting the elections as the party’s Presidential Candidate, with Chartered Accountant Nigel Hinds as his running mate.
According to Hinds, the party will be contesting both the regional and general elections in March, but will be only contesting in seven out of the ten administrative regions. He explained that due to the fact that the party is relatively new, it was unable to meet the deadline for requirements to contend for Regions One, Eight and Nine.

He, however, said that although the party is not contesting in all ten regions, its policies and initiatives are aimed to reach across every region, so as to ensure that the entire country and its citizens have an opportunity to benefit positively.
When asked about some of the plans he sees as achievable, were the party to win the majority in the March 2020 election, Hinds stated that there were several strategies for developing Guyana’s education, infrastructure, health sector and the wellbeing and advancement of each citizen.

“We are very strong on inclusive economic development,” he said. “We are very strong on eradicating the high levels of poverty and we think what has caused the economic underdevelopment in this country in such an extreme manner is the fact that we have this racial divide where either the people have been captured by the parties in the two large demographics or the parties have been captive by the people. And we seek to bring the people together and work with those who see a future for Guyana, where we can live in unity, live in cohesion and with less divisiveness,” said Prime Ministerial hopeful Nigel Hinds.

The Guyana Chronicle spoke to several of the party’s supporters, who all spoke of their confidence in the party and how it will impact the country if it is elected to the majority come March. One of the supporters, Egerton Morris, stated that after listening to the manifesto of the party, he was compelled to lend his support. He stated that young people have to regain control over their country and he believes that the party would be the best one suited to such a solution.

“After looking at what Guyana had achieved in 53 years, I felt like it was a failure, like we should have been further ahead. I lived in the US for 43 years and I just returned and I noticed that just what I left those 43 years ago is just what Guyana is today, it hasn’t changed that much, and the rest of the world has moved on. So I’m here to help the young people take back their country.”

Change Guyana is ready to move on to the March 2020 elections, and is confident in its ability to make change in Guyana’s history. The leaders of the party are resolute in their belief that the pillars that the party is built on will compel persons to cast their votes come March 02 2020 for Change Guyana, and create history.