Dear Editor,
IN his autobiography, South Africa’s first black President, Mr. Nelson Mandela, wrote, “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

In his five years of presidency, his accomplishments included “South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, designed to document human rights violations and help victims and violators come to terms with their past.”

The commission provided a process of “restorative justice” which concentrated on repair rather than retribution during a healing age, as, the country recovered from an infrastructure of racial discrimination, violent, social and economic scars, after being imprisoned under dictatorship and class supremacy.

Guyana suffered a similar fate from 1964 to 1992 under the PNC administration, with Burnham and Hoyte contributing to twenty-eight intolerable years of human suffrage, empowered by a systemic election rigging vehicle. This was again repeated from 2015 to 2020, as the Granger Government destroyed all the gains accumulated from 1992-to 2015 under the astute leadership of the PPP/C Government.

Jagan had left a coffer of surplus in 1964, which was quickly eaten up by the PNC Party, who demitted office in 1992 in a bankrupt state. In 2020, the PPP/C Party acquired a raped treasury, a broken system of hidden and destroyed records and a country in a topsy-turvy situation.

When Guyana received immeasurable, invaluable, and innumerable help from the international, regional, and national communities to help restore democracy during the 2020 general and regional elections, it was not the end of a reigning political dictatorship from the PNC, nor was it the end of their sanctimonious leadership, guidance, and practice.

The true test of their devotion to skullduggery, propaganda, and tongue-twisting had just begun. They began a hysterical campaign of lies (challenging the election results and the re-counts), dishonesty (blaspheming the observers), and deceitfulness (claiming that the PPP/C Party had instead, rigged the election). It was a futile exercise from their fruitless exertion! The PPP/C Party gravitated towards an admirable fame instantaneously and globally, and, the reaction was heartwarming to see hundreds of thousands visiting the land of many waters overnight to enjoy the eco-friendly atmosphere of Guyana’s tourism, the unlimited hospitality of Guyanese comradery, their cuisine, culture, and courtesy.

The PNC had tarnished the clean, well-shaved, and smiling face of Guyana’s image during their corrupt rampage from their morally, economically, and socially bankrupt tenure of gamesmanship, during the years of 2015 to 2020. Their attempted election rigging was a window for the world to see the transparency of their contaminated mind, their evil agenda, and their toxic schedule. They refused to leave office after losing the 2018 No-Confidence Motion.

They prolonged their ludicrous governance for another agonizing 18 months before submitting to calling an overdue election. During the period of “caretakership,” they indulged in numerous illegal activities, passed unconstitutional resolutions, and made self-serving decisions to satisfy their greed. Selling off the properties of the state cheaply to their friends, families, and favorites was the order of the day. No wonder many of them are in the court, facing alleged attempt at election rigging and fraud in 2020.

The PPP/C Party, being duly elected, had to adopt a sensible and rational approach to effectively address the damage caused by the PNC Party’s negative portrayal at both local and international levels. Upon swearing in, duly elected President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali immediately had the distinguished visiting presence of US Secretary of State, Mr. Mike Pompeo and Suriname’s President, Mr. Chan Santokhi.

This was quickly followed by countless invitations to different international venues to speak as a guest of honour, special invitee and main speaker. His presence was required at international forums where he spoke on worldly affairs and promoted the identity of Guyana as a pacesetter in economic development, climate control, global warming, agriculture as a savior, poverty reduction, social mobilisation, cultural engagements, sports promotion, peace, and goodwill for mankind and other urgent issues.

On the domestic scene, the Ali administration was adventurously set about meeting the rigorous challenges of house cleaning and housekeeping. It took painful days and nights to uncover the PNC’s handywork of mismanagement and discover their craftiness in manipulating financial adulteration.

It took a while for state auditors to investigate and report on their fiddled distortions and falsified doctoring of the accounts. In fact, the Auditor General once stated in September 1993, “As a result, a gap in financial reporting covering the period 1982–1991 existed.” Today, the PAC is enduring the difficulty of dealing with uncomfortable contortions from the previous administration. That dilemma tells the true story of the kind of track record the PNC had alluded to during their finagling moments.

But the government had to wait until the passing of the 2021 budget before they could unleash their recovery program to move the country from a broken stage to a building stage again, through massive economic development to change the physical and social infrastructure of the country.

Humongous financial allowances, grants, and assistance have already benefitted all classes of Guyanese in all regions. The PPP/C Party has not been torrid but tempered during the past three years of their administration, and they have ensured that the gains now realised from the country’s resources are meaningfully, equally, and justifiably deployed to achieve maximum sustenance for Guyana and Guyanese in the present and future.

This period of recovery and repair is remarkably recognised and recommended by internationally approved financial gurus, including the IDB, World Bank and IMF.

The PNC needs to attain freedom from their chained and opaque minds to independent and transparent minds, as experienced and enjoyed by other Guyanese as they constantly cross the floor for betterment under the PPP/C Party.
Yours respectfully,
Jai Lall.