— President tells PNC/R General Council
— details achievements of coalition since taking office

THE A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition will win the next General and Regional Elections, President David Granger declared, stating that his government’s track record will act in its favour.

Delivering the keynote address at the Peoples’ National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) General Council Meeting at Congress Place on Saturday, President Granger, the party leader, said the PNC/R, a major player in the coalition, remains a vibrant force.

“We are strong, the PNC is strong and the Coalition (APNU+AFC) will win the elections!” he said as he looks ahead to General and Regional Elections.

The party leader outlined six vices and six virtues of campaigning and warned against fragmentation, racialisation, stigmatisation, ignorance, indolence and arrogance. Referring to racialisation, President Granger said that the PNC/R has always been and is still a multi-racial party. He said that racialisation had damaged the political fabric of the country. “The programme of the PNC is a programme for all Guyanese wherever they are. Race must not be used as an electoral factor,” the PNC/R leader said
Reminding the PNC/R of its strength, President Granger said the party remains strong in and out of season, noting that since December 21, 2018, the Coalition Government has adhered to and acted in accordance with the Constitution of Guyana. “We have respected the legislative branch… we have respected the judicial branch. The executive branch has continued to function.” Granger said, while adding that “there is no such thing in the Constitution as a ‘care-taker’ government, there is the government and government continues to function.”

Before the Court of Appeal declared that the Vote of No-Confidence was invalid, the Opposition had called for the government to act as a care-taker of the country until elections, but the government had remained resolute in its position that the No-Confidence Motion was invalid and the Constitution does not cater for a care-taker government.
Last Friday, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland reaffirmed that government remains in power without any limitation. He noted that the Caribbean Court of Justice, having been approached, will make a final determination on the validity of the vote of No-Confidence and will give directives on the way forward.

TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGES
President Granger said since the APNU+AFC coalition took office in May, 2015, there have been transformational changes in the infrastructure, education, health, agriculture and local government sectors, among other sectors. With first oil months away, the oil and gas sector has been taking shape.

Looking ahead, President Granger said ‘There is no need for people to be poor in Guyana; there is no need for people to be hungry.”

The leader said that his vision for Guyana post-2020 is for it to be a country where there are better education, fuller employment, greater equality, greater empowerment – through local governance, better infrastructure and public utilities, better health care delivery and infrastructure and public services delivered to all regions.

Over the past four years, Local Government Elections (LGE) were held twice under the coalition government while four new capital towns were declared following major infrastructural developments in those areas. The increase in salaries, wages and pensions, the drilling of wells in the Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo Region, the supply of potable water to communities previously deprived, and the construction of a new East Bank Berbice road are among the accomplishments of the APNU+AFC Government. Additionally, buses, boats and bicycles were provided to enable students to get to and from school while the regional broadcasting system was developed, resulting in new radio stations in Bartica, Lethem, Aishalton, Orealla, Mahdia and Mabaruma. The government has also been actively decentralising public services by setting up Information Communication and Technology (ICT) hubs and the Guyana Youth Corp. President Granger said: “We (the coalition has) improved the quality of life for the bulk of our population.”

President Granger also used the opportunity to thank members for their prayers and support over the past six months.

Reports for the last quarter were presented to General Council by representatives of the National Congress of Women (NCW), Guyana Youth and Student Movement (GYSM), Georgetown District of the PNC/R and the 10 administrative regions.
The General Council is the second highest decision-making forum of the PNC/R and meets once every quarter.