PRESIDENT David Granger has hailed as a visionary former President of Guyana and founder/leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC) party, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham.

Speaking on Saturday at an awards ceremony for Region Three party stalwarts as the PNC celebrated its 59th anniversary, President Granger said October 5 is a significant day in the history of local politics. On that day in 1957, Burnham was elected leader of the PNC, with Joseph Latchmansingh assuming the chairmanship of the party.

“Our once great leader formed the party after breaking ties with the People’s Progressive Party due to the divisionism that was building…. His aim after establishing the PNC was to challenge colonialism, which (had) segregated our society for years,” the President explained.

The President said that prior to Burnham’s efforts, the country, apart from being segregated, had been dominated by foreign capital, with no sight of local industries. Burnham’s activism, Granger said, sought to put an end to the abuses of colonialism, which had instigated the division between the poor and the rich.

He said that Burnham, who was aligned with the then British Guiana Labour Union (now the Guyana Labour Union), fought for the working class and strove to build a multiethnic society. The latter contributed to lessening the divisions between urban and rural communities.

“I am proud that he changed Guyana,” President Granger said, and added: “While doing his good work for the betterment of Guyanese, he also created a democratic party: a party with a constitution; one which holds a congress (and) has a general council and central committee that deliberates on ways to better the party.” Those are the four institutions, the President said, that have kept the party together and functional.

The President lamented that some people like to criticise the PNC, even though they are not aware of the party’s struggles and achievements. He said it was the struggles of Burnham and other stalwarts which saw the construction of the Canje Bridge; the best highway in the Corentyne; the construction of multilateral schools; the University of Guyana Campus; the Demerara Harbour Bridge, and the development of institutions such as the National Insurance Scheme, among others.

President Granger lauded the PNC party structure in Region Three for awarding its members, and urged the awardees to “keep moving forward” in order to develop the party and create a better future for the children of tomorrow.