Dear Editor,

PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali must be applauded for having a comprehensive socio-economic plan for solving the problems facing the country, including the incessant floods, constant power outages, and last but not least, the high cost of living, which is a world-wide problem, in that it exists in almost every country.

Like the ‘COVID’ virus, no country is immune from the effects of cost of living. And even though cost of living does not only exist in Guyana, the President has taken serious and fundamental steps to combat it, thereby reducing the burden on the people, especially the poor.

Justifiably, most of these problems have been at the endemic level since independence on May 26, 1966, and are more than five decades old, which is an exceptionally long time. That said, the Head of State has a very skillful and talented Prime Minister in Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips to assist him to unite the country, end or reduce poverty, empower the people to reach their highest potential, improve production outputs in agriculture, mining, the fishing industry, and other areas, and move the country forward.

Both His Excellency and Prime Minister Phillips are aware that the successful transforming of Guyana requires transcending the society by not accepting the status quo, but to think creatively and originally. Any effective solution requires political will, the total engagement of the public, and immense patience. Along with Vice-President Dr. Bharat Jagdeo, both President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister Mark Phillips have a clear understanding of the problems facing the country and their underlying causes, and they have developed some of the most effective, workable and requisite solutions to solve them.

Our leaders have accepted the fact that acute problems exist in the country, especially in the rural areas and the farming belt, and they have provided real and sound policies to resolve them, and not window dressing with cosmetic changes to appease the public as was done by the previous administration.

It is encouraging that during his tenure as President, VP Jagdeo had laid the groundwork to tackle this monumental task, in the interest of the people.

In terms of the judiciary and the backlog of hundreds of cases, President Dr. Ali has fulfilled one of his campaign promises to solve this legal glitch. He has appointed ten new puisne judges, eight of whom are female, which is another great example of ensuring the equal rights of women, thus shattering the glass-ceiling of a male-dominated legal institution. At the international level, he has become a strong advocate of a number of international, hemispheric and regional concerns, and has positioned Guyana as a global leader in food, environmental and energy security, and the effects of global warming, which is already having dire consequences, especially on the underdeveloped countries whose contribution to greenhouse gas emissions is less than a quarter of that of the developed countries. It has severely impacted the poor rural communities which depend on the land to earn a living.

Even with a population of less than one million, Guyana, under President Dr. Ali’s leadership, has become a model country with unprecedented growth in GDP. It has heralded a new international system, based on fairness, with the primary goal to secure global food security, environmental security, energy security, global climate change, and a reduction of global poverty for the more than 750 million in Africa. With increased production in agriculture, Guyana is poised to show the world that agriculture remains the mainstay of the economy.

Truth be told, selflessness has become the cornerstone of Dr. Ali, Prime Minister Brigadier Phillips, and Vice-President Dr. Jagdeo’s ethos, and, needless to say, patriotism is intrinsic in the execution of their duties.

In their quest and determination to solve the nation’s problems, unify the country, develop the economy and improve the living standards of the people, they have made huge sacrifices as they put country first before self, and excellence in all they do. They have opened Guyana to the world and delivered the policies the people have yearned for. Simply put, they have proven that politics can be a force for good.

Sincerely,
Dr. Asquith Rose