I wish to extend heartiest congratulations to His Excellency President Donald Ramotar who, as the Presidential Candidate of the PPP/CIVIC, has led the party to minority victory in free, fair and open elections of November 28 last. Being the President of this nation for the first time, he has already announced his intention to launch and implement initiatives to be inclusive as never before to address immediately the concerns, fears and insecurities of depressed groups, to correct mistakes and penalize wrong doers appropriately, even from within his own ranks, and to seek the widest consensus possible from the AFC and APNU and ranging from his new Cabinet to Parliament to wider civil society.
I believe firmly that the President and his new -look administration must be given the time and space to prove their promises. I feel too that they are all seized with the urgency that the crucial issues of transparency, even -handed and all -embracing democratic development and good, efficient governance demands. These vital national issues can only be attended to in an environment of peace, respect for law and order and the recognition of the role and procedures of our national institutions.
I have argued at several fora and at different times, that economic and social progress is not sustainable or even possible without democracy. For the Pipit can be said that with free and fair elections, history has repeated itself. It has never won a plurality of votes over the PNC and UF in 1964.It was evident that Comrade Donald Ramoutar himself was confident of winning the Presidency, and of controlling the Parliament. But party zealots indentified the basic flaw in the campaign as an over -concentration on one man, Donald Ramoutar. Experienced party campaigners, including parliamentarians, were dropped as candidates. Donald was cock-sure of victory with a majority in Parliament, and so indulged in excessive optimism and over -confidence. He went into the race with a “new PPP”, literally an unknown team. The reality is that rough times are ahead. This could lead to a no -win situation.