– Ramotar
HUNDREDS of supporters of the ruling Peoples’ Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) were yesterday reminded of the success Guyana has had in realizing national unity. Thronging the streets of Georgetown with much pomp as their leaders submitted the PPP/C list of candidates to the Guyana Elections Commission for the November 28 polls, the party’s faithful reassembled afterwards at Freedom House on Robb Street for a ‘mini-rally’.
The PPP/C supporters were first addressed by PPP stalwart and Advisor to the President on Governance, Ms. Gail Teixeira, who made it clear that the decades’long fight for national unity is a reality for Guyanese today.

PROUD NATION
She observed that had the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan been alive, he would have been proud of the nation Guyana has become. He would also have been proud of the Guyanese people and of the PPP/C party.
“He always fought for national unity, and here we have that,” the advisor on governance said.
Teixeira appealed to women and youth – pointing out that they comprise the majority of the voters on the official list of electors (OLE), to turn out and vote, making clear that victory is not guaranteed until the last ballot is cast and counted.
According to her, there is still a long road ahead, and Guyanese must be inspired by the spirit of 1953, when their ancestors voted for a better Guyana, and the victory won was a victory for all Guyanese.

SPIRIT OF 1953
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds also addressed the gathering. He said, “We can sense that we are together again.”
According to him, Guyana has achieved Dr. Jagan’s long-held desire to return to the spirit of 1953, which had paved the way for Guyana’s transformation.
He noted that visible signs of advances made are all around the city, and they are similar to those made across Guyana.
“We have to work to ensure that we realize a bigger-than-ever victory,” Hinds said.
The Prime Minister opined that, come November 28th, the PPP/C can secure the support of 60 percent of the electorate.

HOPE
Presidential candidate Donald Ramotar made clear that Guyanese today have a strong sense of hope for the future, unlike what had obtained in the past, when hope was lost.
He credited the PPP/C with restoring that hope, and declared that the Guyanese people are assured of progress and greater transformation in the future.
“We are at an important moment in our history. We need to go forward…the PPP/C has overcome difficulties in the past. We have faced challenges, and have done so boldly. We have found solutions to problems people thought were intractable,” Ramotar said.
He posited that the party had worked hard to successfully cultivate a culture of national unity.
“We cannot take any more chances with the future of our country…In 1964, the PNC took the most developed country in the Caribbean, and they so destroyed it that, by 1992, we were being described as the poorest country in the Caribbean,” Ramotar stressed.
He stated that, at the recent CARICOM Heads of Government meeting, Guyana was once more described as the “only bright shining star” in CARICOM.
“This is because of the work we have done (in) rebuilding our economy; the work we have done in repairing our infrastructure; the work we have done in education, in health, in housing, in water, in agriculture and in every single area,” Ramotar posited.

MAINTAIN MOMENTUM
The PPP/C presidential candidate stressed that Guyana has made progress, and has earned the description of being the most dynamic country in the Caribbean.
“We need to keep this momentum going,” he said. “We have to move to greater heights. We have presented our manifesto and described the plans we have for our country, and we want the opportunity to implement those plans, so that our country can be not only the most dynamic country in the Caribbean, but a force to be reckoned with in the world.”
Ramotar maintained that the PPP/C supporters are the quintessential element that allows progress to continue. He expressed his appreciation for their commitment.
“Let us together work as one person to ensure that our victory is assured and we move from strength to strength,” he said.