WHEN I heard that President Ramotar was leaving the country to engage in international talks and to visit with the Guyanese diaspora, in the USA, I was overjoyed. We abroad, like those at home, need to know about government’s developmental programmes, and the general situation at home. That of course would include, in part, the unkindly treatment still being meted out to this new president by the opposition parties, APNU and the AFC, with special note of the major chops they, the opposition parties, have made to the 2012 national budget.

This is the President’s first official visit to the USA, and he took the opportunity to ensure he addressed the many Guyanese who came out to meet him, at the Guyana Embassy in Washington D.C; and of course, to celebrate this wonderful occasion of Mother’s Day, 2012.
From all accounts, President Donald Ramotar was well received.

He explained to them the ramifications of such thoughtless, selfish acts of cutting the nose of the budget, by $21B, to spoil the face of this nation, and to secure the presidency, ends up like American President Barrack Obama – not being able to accomplish much in, his first term of office, as the most powerful man on the planet.
But in Guyanese parlance, that could be, ‘if wishes were horses’.

He reminded his people that this current political situation, or current dispensation, is a first in the political history of this country, where the joint opposition, APNU and the AFC, has a one-seat majority, and they are not hesitating to play Russian roulette, with the government, people and parliamentary decisions, that affect this nation.

And I am not discounting the $21B budget cut that will leave many public servants, headed for the breadline, literally. The president indicated that it is not so much the cuts that upset him, but the lack of rational, logical reasons, for doing same.

But as optimistic as Donald Ramotar is, in his address, he mentioned that he is still very willing to sit down with the opposition, and work things out. Economically while the rest of the world were in dire straits, Guyana with good common-sense and leadership qualities from former President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, was able to prevent such dire  circumstances, like the loss of jobs, homes and commercial banks either limiting, or all-out cuts on bank loans, that many of the other countries eventually faced.