By Ariana Gordon

STATING that social cohesion was key to this country’s moving forward, President David Granger told the Parliament on Thursday that Guyana’s future depends heavily on “deeper social cohesion” and stressed that the current generation has an obligation “to repair past damage, to restore trust and to rebuild the bases of a ‘moral community’.”President ,during what can be termed an Independence address to the House, told Parliamentarians that the celebration of Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary should be seen as a second chance to ensure the future is bright. “It is a moment when we can commit to ensuring that our children and generations to come could inherit a country that will allow them to enjoy a good life,” the Guyanese leader said.
He said with Independence came the establishment of institutions of pride, such as the National Assembly. Guyanese he said, can be proud of what has been achieved since Independence, while noting that the National Assembly must renew its Independence covenant with the citizenry and resolve to work together to re-unite the nation. “The National Assembly must take the first steps on the long road to social cohesion, to political inclusion and to economic resilience,” charged President Granger. Fifty years ago Guyana was born a broken nation under a state of emergency, said President Granger who noted that “Social strife, political disunity and economic stagnation prevented our nation from achieving its full potential.” As such, the head of state demanded that better be done as the past 50 years were spent devoted to mending the social fabric, promoting peace and repairing the economy. Those 50 years the President said, “were about overcoming a hostile international economic environment.”
Time to be different
He emphasised the need for the next 50 years to be “different.” “Let us use this special year to usher in an era of social peace, political collaboration and economic prosperity for this and all future generations.” The President pleaded with representatives of both the governing and opposition sides of the House to “use the opportunity of Guyana’s 50th Anniversary to unite our people.” He believes that this symbolic observance ought to be used as a golden opportunity to “build bridges that will lead us forward in the future as a unified nation.”
Deeper Social Cohesion
Continuing on the theme of unity, President Granger noted that Guyana’s future depends heavily on “deeper social cohesion” and stressed that the current generation has an obligation “to repair past damage, to restore trust and to rebuild the bases of a ‘moral community’.” Greater social cohesion the President said will enable all Guyanese to co-exist and cooperate with each other for a common good. He said a more cohesive society can eliminate extreme poverty, eradicate the worst forms of inequality, especially gender inequality, ensure equal access to education for all, enable greater participation and inclusion at the political level and enforce employment and anti-discrimination laws in order to guarantee the health, happiness and safety of working people, women and children.
“Social cohesion is about fostering greater integration in our nation. Integration can increase a sense of belonging. It can give recognition to all groups and to allow them to freely practise their culture,” the President added. Granger noted too that Independence offered Guyanese the opportunity to work together to heal divisions and promote reconciliation. But though independence offered a new beginning, an opportunity for national unity, that notion “has been elusive for most of the last five decades.” “The absence of national unity has impaired national development. It has triggered a continuous trickle of migration. It has led to political and economic fatigue.”
Political Inclusion
Political inclusion, the President said, is also critical to the country’s stability and noted that the ethnic arithmetic of the past meant that only a minority could be excluded from a government by a majority, no matter how slim. He said confrontation characterised the ‘old politics’ while reminding that in the past ‘winner- takes- all’ jackpot was the prize of every election. He described the political landscape of the past as a “battlefield” not always filled with ideas but of “racial rivalry.”
“Communal conflict hampered human development. Mr. Speaker, that system belongs to the past. It is now dangerously dysfunctional,” President Granger stated emphatically. The President noted that the holding of Local Government Elections (LGEs) after two decades have liberated communities, while stressing that the lack of LGE over the years had “constrained the economic participation of citizens within their neighbourhoods and municipalities.”
Local democracy is the lifeline of increased community involvement, he stressed, while stating that the creation of new ‘capital towns’ in the name of Mabaruma, Bartica and Lethem will improve the provision of services to those regions. President Granger stressed the need for regular municipal and local elections so citizens can be afforded the opportunity to participate in their communities. “Our people have been deprived of local democracy for over 18 years, but this will not happen again. It won’t happen again,” a fervent President Granger said.
He noted too that the Constitution of Guyana is an “instrument of political inclusion” and as such mandates the State to establish an inclusionary system of democracy by providing opportunities for all citizens.
“Mr Speaker, the Government has initiated the Constitution reform process. It must aim at strengthening this particular provision to ensure that the intended ‘inclusionary’ system is made to work. It must be extended, that is to say, the reform process must be extended to involve consultations with citizens in their communities in all 10 regions. Every eligible elector in this republic must be given the chance to be heard, so that our country could advance with a Constitution in which we all have confidence,” President Granger stated.
The President said too that Guyana remains committed to building a green economy. He said the country’s future economy depends on “speedier adoption of renewable sources of energy and on the environmentally sustainable exploitation of our natural resources.”
As such, the State as mandated by the Constitution has committed to sustainable development. Making reference to Article 36 of the Constitution, the President said, “This is the Constitution, not an option. Economic change, therefore, is compatible with stewardship of the environment and measures for sustainable development.”
The Paris Agreement, approved by the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris on 12th December 2015, committed Guyana to a global action plan to put the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, the President reminded. He said the high cost of energy for manufacturing and other industrial and domestic purposes has hindered Guyana’s efforts to produce more value-added products competitively, while noting that Guyana’s attendance at the US-Caribbean-Central American Energy Summit in Washington, DC, May 3 and 4 emphasised the need for a national energy security plan. Such a plan the President said will provide for the substitution of renewables for petroleum products for energy development.
“The transition towards renewable sources of energy as part of our ‘green’ development thrust must be accelerated. Investment in solar, wind, hydro and biomass sources of energy must be augmented.
The approach to a ‘green’ economy will wean this country from its addiction to fossil fuels, fuels which exact a heavy burden on the economy,” he added. Independence “was a necessity” said President Granger, who noted that since relinquishing ties with British colonial masters Guyana was able to make “rapid progress and substantial advances” during its post-independence years.