WHILE being on guard, with care, from portraying a proud, chest-thumping arrogance of being right and of coming out the winner, it is of fruitful importance to celebrate victorious Guyanese achievements, even as the nation exercises self-examination, introspection, and a thorough self-audit to garner its path and direction, to probe the past and plot future progress with sound hindsight, wise foresight, and profound insight.
Indeed, the Socratic adage that the unexamined life is not worth living rings with eternal truth. Today, all right-thinking Guyanese and the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) celebrate with humble, grateful hearts the triumphant victory of this nation overcoming, with emphatic national oneness, those nefarious elements who, a year ago, took Guyanese to the brink of international shame, democratic shambles, and socioeconomic disaster. The attempt to deny Guyanese their free and fair elections results last year March failed. And today, the nation celebrates the triumph of Guyanese democracy.

The PPP/C, with humility, gratitude and love for the entire Guyanese nation, stands tall at this hour of the nation’s history, with its strong stance to defend the democratic foundation and institutional framework that causes the rule of law to prevail; a democratic structure which the PPP/C established with firm commitment in its 23 years of governance from 1992 to 2015, able to stand strong against a most vicious assault on its structural integrity. Despite some short-sighted critics, Guyanese everywhere admire the PPP/C for demonstrating this character of genuine, sincere, passionate care and commitment for the overall well-being of this country. To make sure that the Guyanese body politic remains healthy and strong, and that the socioeconomic welfare of every citizen is of uppermost concern to the Government, and that every institution functions for the people through their ballot at free and fair elections, that the people decide who governs them, the PPP/C stands on guard against any attempt to derail national progress, prosperity, and peace.

Every generation of Guyanese now harbours the institutional memory of a Coalition coming into power by sinister means to dismantle the promise and dream of the people. It happened with the People’s National Congress (PNC) – United Force coalition back in the 1960s, and then again in 2015 with the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)+Alliance For Change (AFC) Coalition. Every time, the PPP/C stood up and led the nation, with peaceful struggle and intelligent leadership and utmost patience, to overcome the challenge. The PPP/C stands tall today because it has become the preeminent movement in this country for the advancement of the people’s welfare, with a balanced approach to the development agenda, looking after both the social needs of the society, and the corporate needs of the private sector, along with upholding the political foundation.

The party’s national governance saw entrenched an independent, professional media landscape that encourages a free flow of ideas, withstanding even harsh criticism against the Government, with four national daily newspapers, a slew of TV stations, and several international digital media operations. In every facet of building a democratic country, the PPP/C excels with tremendous success, inspiring Guyanese everywhere that their country is capable of delivering its promise of prosperity and progress and peace to every person, with the people exercising their democratic franchise with confidence.
How fitting and almost poetic, on this auspicious day, celebrating a year’s anniversary of Guyana proving its mettle and integrity and inner strength on the world stage, of Guyanese shaking off the elements who would have foisted a dictatorship on the nation, that President Ali announced the new national award, the Order of Democracy.

The first batch of awardees would read like a roll call of this nation’s colourful tapestry of multicultural and multi-ethnic and multi-religious makeup, with Guyanese of every corner of this land aligning with and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the PPP/C to right the Guyana state; to rescue it from elements who wanted to see the nation sink into international shame.
The Order of Democracy is a reality today because of the leadership across the nation of outstanding Guyanese, men and women of exceptional character and commitment to the national well-being. In Bishop Juan Edgehill, Brigadier Mark Phillips, Joe Hamilton and others across the length and breadth of this country, Guyanese saw the attempt to paint the elections situation of March 2020 as an ethnic confrontation, as, to use the words of Anil Nandlall, “confounded nonsense”.
That experience showcased Guyanese fighting for their future, to develop their country for every citizen.

And leading the fight with exceptional skill, class, and ability to engage with the international community with diplomatic finesse, were the indomitable national Hero of Heroes, Bharrat Jagdeo, commanding deep respect and admiration for his measured calmness in the face of fear and dread, and Anil Nandlall, whose astonishing intelligence and illuminated legal mind navigated the court system to ensure that the rule of law prevailed, and President Ali, whose role became significant as he focused on the future of the country with unwavering confidence, in the midst of the chaos, assuring Guyanese that the future would be one of miraculous prosperity and progress, with 50,000 jobs, 20,000 scholarships, and 10,000 house lots. These men led the fight.

Across the country, scores of heroes stood up, in Lenox Shuman, Rhonda Lam, Asha Kissoon, Bryan MacIntosh, Kwame McCoy, Gerry Gouveia, and a long list of Guyanese, from every walk of life, every community, every entity, from labour unions and business organisations and political parties and academia and hinterland organisations. And then there’s the backing of the international community and the diplomats in Georgetown playing an active role in supporting the PPP/C in the battle for Guyana’s soul. On this day of celebration in the triumph of Guyanese overcoming the worst assault on democracy that the Caribbean witnessed in modern times, it is with sombre-minded reflection and a grateful heart and humble adoration for the leadership of the PPP/C in securing the national democratic integrity, that Guyanese walk tall with head held high, a nation of respect, admiration, and good standing in the world, fully on guard.