Dear Editor,

WE must never forget the Two Decades of Death and Destruction under previous administration, as we prepare for the Decade of Development under the A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana

As His Excellency the President Brigadier David Granger unveils the Decade of Development and we go to the polls on March 2nd, 2020, we must never forget the embarrassment and atrocities that plagued this nation for 23 years.

Do you remember?
When Guyana was blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) and the European Union Anti-Money Laundering Task Force. The previous administration had refused, for several years, to implement anti-money laundering regulations that required banks and other agencies to apply increased checks to financial procedures, from high-risk countries and to identify suspicious money flows into these institutions as they found evidence of laundered money funding terrorist organisations. Guyana was cited as, “sleepwalking, step by step, into narco-statehood, fuelling gang warfare, a transit point for drugs and extra-judicial killings throughout Guyana. It is through the vision of His Excellency and the Coalition team, that Guyana was officially removed from the blacklist in 2017, when parliament officially crafted a policy and passed same, instituting the laws required to ensure better banking practices and increased safeguards against funding of terrorism.

Do you remember?
When the rights of women were trampled upon, as the Minister of Health, Bheri Ramsarran threatened to slap and strip a female rights activist in a heated confrontation that was caught on tape; this was merely because she was telling him about making racist statements and expressing to him that women and children were dying under the PPP’s watch. It is with the vision of His Excellency The President and the Coalition team that we now see 10 women in Cabinet; for the first time in the history of this country, that we now see a parliament with over 30% representation of women on the government’s side. We now have a President who honours women; who accepts their contributions to the development of Guyana and who respects them and who accepts them as equasl.

Do you remember?
The incidents of 2012 in Linden, Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice, where Lindeners, Guyanese, peacefully protested against an imposed electricity tariff hike of over 600%; as a result of this peaceful protest, the government turned its guns on a large crowd, killing three men: Shemroy Bouyea, 18, Ron Somerset, 18 and Alan Lewis, 46, and blamed the opposition for the violence. On Sunday 12, 2012, as early as 5 am, the violence continued as un-named, un-numbered police ranks fired rubber pellets, live rounds and tear gas at protesters. On that morning, there were scenes such as those in war-torn countries; scenes never before witnessed in this country. After the inquest was done and the ruling was made, most of the agreements were never honoured, and no other than the prime minister refused to apologise to the people of Linden. It is with the vision of His Excellency the President and the Coalition team, that we have seen the television station finally being handed over to the people, the Linden Broadcasting Network; that we see a Martyrs’ Monument being constructed at Wismar to honour the dead; that we now see economic development like never before in Linden. Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice had been stifled for 23 years, because of our unwavering support for the People’s National Congress Reform, now a part of the Coalition; Linden has now witnessed true socio-economic and political growth under the Coalition Government.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic cannot campaign on their track record, because their track record is riddled with embarrassment, deceit, death, death squads, destruction, extra-judicial killings, crime, terrorist funding, verbal abuse of women, the main narco-transit point to the rest of the world, most corrupt country in the hemisphere and blacklisting; on the other hand, we have a leader in President David A Granger who has inculcated class, integrity, honour, belief, reduction in crime, reduction in narco-trafficking, reduction in murders, respect for all races, respect for women, accountability, a decade of development, an improvement on the most corrupt country’s index and so many other positives.

On March 2nd, 2020, it is with the attributes that were listed above, that in the best interest of all, to continue, “The Good Life” that we go to the polls and vote solidly for the A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change and re-elect His Excellency David A Granger, as President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Moving Forward Together, Don’t Stop the Progress.

Regards

Douglas Charles Gittens
Candidate
Geographic List of Candidates
A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change
Upper Demerara-UpperBerbice