Dear Editor,
SINCE taking office three and a half years ago, President, Dr Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips have been working very closely as a team and have been leading by example on national and global issues at every level— local, regional, hemispheric and international.

At the local level, they have conducted several meet-the-people tours to solve their problems and recently embarked on Guyana’s first National Clean Up Campaign for 2024 on Saturday, February 17 at Houston and Agricola, East Bank Demerara.

For several hours, President Ali and Prime Minister Phillips removed a huge amount of litter and waste from public spaces, thus making it cleaner and safer for the residents in the villages. They have also repainted several medians in the community to beautify and maintain a safe and healthy environment.

Accompanying them were the Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, the top brass of the police force, including the Commissioner of Police (Ag) Clifton Hicken, members of the private sector and volunteers The overall objective of the 2024 clean-up campaign which was initiated by His Excellency is meant to promote cleanliness in the various communities across the country, sensitise the residents of the importance of keeping their communities clean and to bring about a change in public behaviour.

On the regional, hemispheric and international scene, President Ali during an interview with Bloomberg News on Tuesday, February 20, in reference to the border controversy, has firmly and unequivocally stated that Guyana is a peaceful country that has always respected the rule of law and abides by decisions made by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

He affirmed that any threat to Guyana’s territorial integrity by Venezuela will be taken very seriously and that many of our regional (CARICOM) hemispheric (Brazil and Latin America) and international partners (United States, Canada, Britain and members of the European Union), have reiterated their support for the country’s sovereignty.

He also called upon Venezuela to participate in the ICJ and respect its decision. Additionally, his relentless and unyielding advocacy for food security, energy security, reduction of poverty and hunger worldwide, and for urgent action to combat the burning issue of global climate change among others, has made him a respectable global leader.

President, Dr Irfaan Ali has not only strongly rejected the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela’s spurious claim over Guyana’s territory, but he has also potently reassured foreign investors that they should not worry because the border controversy was settled 125 years ago by the 1899 Arbitral Award and both Venezuela and Guyana were represented by the United States and Great Britain, respectively.

He informed Bloomberg News that the border controversy is currently before the ICJ and that his primary focus is to ensure stability in the region and to make sure that the hemisphere remains a zone of peace. The Guyanese Head of State asserted that the government has taken steps to modernise the nation’s military with the use of technology and increase its human capacity.

Like President Ali, Prime Minister Mark Phillips has on several occasions outlined Guyana’s positions locally, regionally and at several international forums.

The most recent was on February 7 to 9 in New Delhi, India, where he called for rational, definitive and strong leadership at the local, regional, hemispheric and international levels to take immediate action to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. It was one of the most powerful, effective and convincing speeches by PM Phillips.

While performing the duties of President, Dr. Ali who chaired a high-level United Nations Security meeting in New York, Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d), the Honourable Mark Phillips, once again delivered an eloquent, impressive and influential speech at the Guyana Energy Conference.

He emphatically and brilliantly told attendees at the conference that Guyana has made significant and phenomenal progress in the energy sector in its efforts to transition to clean, renewable energy.

Reinforcing Guyana’s steadfast and ultimate commitment to an equitable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly future for all, the Prime Minister highlighted the pressing need for climate-resilient action amidst the global climate change crises, stating that the time for climate change-resilient action is now.

Speaking truth to power, the former Chief of Staff of Guyana’s Defence Force explicitly affirmed that clean energy is pivotal in Guyana’s progress, energy transformation and long-term sustainability goals and that it is fundamental to the nation’s environmental, social, economic, technological and human development.

Known for his spectacular and amazing speeches, Brigadier Phillips in his closing remarks praised the conference attendees for their continued dialogue on energy-sector issues and expressed optimism and enthusiasm for investments in Guyana’s clean and renewable energy programmes and for ongoing partnerships to find permanent and long-lasting solutions to the global climate crises.

It should be clear to everyone that President Ali and Prime Minister Phillips are two of the country’s greatest and genuine leaders and despite their different social, cultural and political up-bringing, have collaborated on most of the issues on how to solve problems, develop the country and improve the lives of the people in their pursuit of happiness. For many, they are a solid and genuine team-mates who continue to lead by example.

Sincerely,
Dr. Asquith Rose