-says President Ali as he upbraids Rickford Burke-run organisation for ‘divisive’ agenda
-calls on US Congressman, Hakeem Jeffries, among other officials to examine the actions of the organisation

PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali has condemned the verbal assault meted out to “innocent” Guyanese within the diaspora, who recently engaged him on how their home country can prosper.

During a statement which was streamed live on his Facebook page on Sunday evening, the President addressed the attack which was launched by Rickford Burke’s organisation, Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID), which called for the boycott of Guyanese-owned businesses in the diaspora than embraced the President during his visit to New York last week.

Dr Ali in his statement urged persons to share the press statement issued by CGID to United States (US) officials and ask them what is wrong with working for the betterment of their homeland.

“When I was in Brooklyn and Queens, I felt the love of what Guyana offers. I felt the collective strength of our people wanting only what is best for our country,” Dr Ali said.

Further, he stated that he felt proud of those Guyanese who have made an imprint in the US within their respective fields such as healthcare.

The engagement, according to him, boosted his strength in achieving the ‘One Guyana’ agenda.

Tackling the assault that the Guyanese community faced, the Head of State said: “Make no mistake, no detractors, no haters, no racists, no-one who seeks selfishly to derail this agenda, no-one with a separatist agenda, no-one with a hidden agenda would be allowed to shake my strong belief in the Guyanese people and in our ability to achieve one Guyana and to achieve prosperity for every single family.”

He added: “I found myself compelled to respond tonight [Sunday], not because I want to respond to any individual, for I have no time on my agenda to waste behind racist, separatist propagandist. I have no time in my agenda to lose energy behind those who cannot see anything from a different window [other] than the window of racism.”

While the statement by CGID breathed fear into those within the diaspora as their businesses were the subject of the attack, President Ali assured those persons that they are not guilty of anything. He said that onslaught reflects the hurt that the detractors of development are trying to instill in them.

Highlighting the evident double standards of those critics, Dr Ali said that while they claim to love, the attack shows that they are divisive because they condemned hard-working Guyanese.

“How low can you get?” the President said to those who are attempting to derail development.

The Head of State then said that those who have a dislike for him can target him but not innocent people.

“If you have something against me, come after me with all that you have, point all your guns and weapons at me, but leave the people out of this. Do not seek to destroy the lives of ordinary people,” he stated.

He added: “Don’t point the gun of hate, don’t point the poison of hate from your arrows to the ordinary people. Do not do this to them, they are guilty of nothing,” while explaining that those persons just wanted to share their ideas and ensure the well-being of their home country.

President Ali then said that “no right thinking” person could support CGID’s statement and he even called on US officials such as Hakeem Jeffries to examine the actions of the Burke organisation.
President Ali then stated that those who were a part of the engagement were not paid but instead they offered food and water to everyone.

“This is just an exposure of who they are. This is an awakening for all the persons in our diaspora to see through the shallow window that they operate from,” Dr Ali said.

He also stated that this government’s message is founded on national unity and the collective desire to see Guyana prosper.