President Ali tells Eccles/Ramsburg residents

IN a last pitch to voters ahead of tomorrow’s Local Government Elections (LGSs), and as the governing People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) wrapped up its campaign, President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Saturday night highlighted that Central Government will always remain a partner in the development of local communities.
The President delivered a spirited speech during a public meeting at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, as campaigning for polls entered its penultimate day.
Speaking on the past, present and future developments being done by the PPP/C at the Central Government level, the President implored those gathered to understand the importance of voting at Monday’s elections.

“These local government elections are very, very critical for the advancement of our communities. It is important in that it has great synergy between what we are doing at a central government level, and what is needed at a local government level,” the head-of-state said.
The President said that the Eccles/Ramsburg Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) has not been left out of the transformation taking place across the country, and that even more development is in store.

“In this NDC, you are at the centre of the transformation that is taking place across these banks and across Guyana. If you drive across this NDC, especially in the backlands since we came back into office, you will see the advancement and transformation; you will see the result of investment we are making. Investment to improve the lives of people; investment to transform communities. And investments are critical to improving the system of governance across our country,” the President noted.
“Here in this NDC, in the last few years,” he said, “you would’ve not only benefitted from the roads and drainage and improved development, but, more importantly, the net value of families, the net value of houses has increased tremendously in this NDC. It has increased because of the investment the People’s Progressive Party/Civic is making. It has increased because of the way we are transforming the communities.”

The President contrasted development taking place under the PPP/C government against what would’ve taken place under the main political opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), which is led by the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R). “Sometimes we forget that APNU occupied the seat of power in this country for 33 years. Not five years; 33 years they occupied the seat of power in this country. And what can they show for that 33 years? What can they show?” the President questioned.
According to the President, the PPP/C and APNU have diverging political philosophies, as evidenced in the kind of policies put in place during their tenure in government.
“One party’s political philosophy is to give to the people, and the other party’s philosophy is to take from the people. In the last five years of the 33 years the APNU occupied power, they have brought upon the people of this country more than 200 new taxes; in less than 100 days, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic removed those 200 taxes from the backs of the people,” the President said to resounding applause.