Dear Editor,
Guyana is developing at a rapid pace never seen or experienced before and President, Dr. Irfaan Ali is doing everything possible to improve the lives of the people, especially the poor and downtrodden.

And, he is doing so outside of party politics, but as President for all the people in our Cooperative Republic. However, there are some in society who are bent on opposing him because they are from an earlier era, and, as a result, they have and continue to use party politics and race to promote their narrow interests in the hope of stalling the development of the country. They will not succeed because of President Ali’s firm commitment to move the country forward.

No one can dispute the fact that race-baiting politics which predates independence is still prevalent in the country and remains a major issue, but both President Dr. Ali and Prime Minister Brigadier Mark Phillips have stated several times, at many of their outreaches, that they intend to reconcile the racial differences between the two major races in the country.

According to Prime Minister Phillips, President Ali’s One Guyana vision means that all in society, regardless of race, ethnicity or party affiliation will be included in the development of Guyana and will benefit from the anticipated huge amount of oil resources and that no one will be left out.

His Excellency Dr. Ali is considered by many to be a “down to earth” President because he is practical, reasonable, friendly, open, and honest with no pretensions and no vindictive or spiteful behaviour.

Since taking office almost three years ago, he has visited several communities including many predominantly Afro-Guyanese communities such as Agricola, Buxton, South Ruimveldt, Albouystown, among others and has pledged to do his utmost to solve their problems and provide jobs for many of the residents in those villages.

After weathering the storm for five months when the Granger led coalition attempted to derail the democratic process in the country, President Dr. Ali remained resolute as he assured the nation of his desire and firm commitment to build Guyana for all Guyanese and that there should be no need to fear by anyone based on their political persuasion, race, or ethnicity; rich or poor.

He emphasised that the mission of his government is to make sure that all Guyanese are treated fairly and equally and appreciated.

Despite the many challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the natural disasters, and the refusal by the APNU+AFC opposition coalition to recognize the legitimacy of the PPP/C administration, the wheels of progress continue to turn at an accelerated pace as the country’s GDP climbed to an all-time high.

Indeed, the progress made in the country by the President and his administration is nothing short of monumental and that the developmental growth and expansion has touched every part of Guyana, and more importantly the lives of all Guyanese, regardless of race or political affiliation.

Guyana has undoubtedly had an amazing two and a half years with President Ali at the helm as the country is projected to be one of the major oil producers in the world and there is no doubt that greater accomplishments are yet to come. And while Dr. Ali tries to make life comfortable at home for the citizens, he is also trying for them to have access to the international community.

He has convinced the United Kingdom to remove its decades-long visa restrictions for Guyanese, thus allowing them to spend up to six months in that country. He has also asked Canadian officials to remove the tourist visa restrictions for Guyanese who want to visit their friends and relatives in Canada.

At the international level, it was always easy for heads of state from countries like the U.S., Canada, and other western developed countries to recognise the Caribbean leaders from the more prominent islands like Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados.

However, in the last two years, President Dr. Irfaan Ali stood tall as he made some epic announcements on climate change, food security, renewable energy, and fair-trade practices which made Guyana recognisable and ranked it among the top countries in the international system.

Not only did President Ali advance Guyana’s interest globally, but he has also done a remarkable job at the regional level, especially among the country’s CARICOM and Latin American neighbours. All Guyanese should be proud of him.

Yours sincerely,
Dr. Asquith Rose.