— Figueira implores Lindeners to make careful assessment ahead of September 1
–talks up President Ali’s fulfillment of commitments, raps Norton over lack of substance, value in presentations

AS the countdown to election day intensifies, Linden-born politician Jermaine Figueira, once a member of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), has made an impassioned plea to the residents of Region 10 to vote for leadership that offers vision, substance, and direction, not recycled slogans.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Figueira contrasted what he described as President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s transformative agenda with what he deemed a “shallow and uninspiring” presentation by APNU presidential candidate, Aubrey Norton at a rally in Linden earlier this month.

“My beloved Lindeners, my brothers and sisters of Region 10… Twelve days! That’s all that stands between us and E-Day,” Figueira declared, as he urged persons to listen to the address of Norton during the rally, which he said included “nothing of substance and value.”

The former APNU parliamentarian, said Lindeners and all Guyanese must not settle for empty rhetoric when so much is at stake.
“Choose progress. Choose vision. Choose leadership that moves us Forward, Together, for a Better Guyana! Vote for the only candidate that makes sense and knows how to get the job done. Vote for Dr. Irfaan Ali for a united prosperous, progressive, developed and a transformed modern Guyana,” he said.

Figueira held nothing back in his broadside of Norton’s address. According to him, the APNU leader offered no blueprint for the future, no credible economic or social development agenda, and no real solutions for the challenges facing Region 10.

SHALLOW, UNIMAGINATIVE AND UNINSPIRING
“It was the most shallow, unimaginative, uninspiring, visionless address ever delivered by a PNC leader and presidential candidate in the history of independent Guyana. No solid plan for job creation. No solid plan for young people. No plans for development. No transformative plans for Region 10. No developmental plan for Guyana,” he wrote.

Instead, he accused Norton of delivering “just recycled slogans… empty chatter… insults of his opponents, stale jokes and lightweight words, that vanish like smoke in the air.”
Figueira pressed Lindeners to reflect, asking them, “If a man cannot inspire you with words, how can he lead you with actions? If he cannot craft a vision, how can he build a people and a nation?”

Norton, for his part, used his speech to hurl sharp criticisms at President Ali and PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo.
He accused them of corruption, incompetence, and betrayal of Linden. His address leaned heavily on attacks, claiming PPP/C governments had left Region 10 underdeveloped, closed down schools, and mismanaged major infrastructure projects.

He pledged that an APNU government would deliver sustainable agriculture, cheap electricity, mortgage and rent support, and better healthcare and education services. He also promised a $200,000 minimum wage and stipends to keep students in school.

While Norton insisted that only APNU could deliver “quality life” to Lindeners, Figueira dismissed those claims as empty slogans that mask the absence of genuine vision or strategy.
For Figueira, the choice before voters is not merely between two political parties, but between two competing approaches to leadership: one that unites and transforms, and another that divides and recycles.

“We in Linden, in Region 10, in all of Guyana, we deserve better! So, on September 1, don’t settle for weakness disguised as leadership. Don’t settle for empty suits and empty promises,” he urged.

By explicitly rallying behind Dr. Irfaan Ali, Figueira argued that the PPP/C offers Guyanese a leadership that is tested, visionary, and capable of delivering transformation across sectors.
He reaffirmed that only Ali’s administration has consistently backed up words with tangible projects, investments, and national programmes that directly improve the lives of citizens.
“Choose progress. Choose vision. Choose leadership that moves us Forward, Together, for a Better Guyana!” he said.

Region 10 has long been considered the heartland of the PNC/APNU, but the PPP/C has steadily been expanding its footprint through infrastructure projects, social support programmes and community engagement.

However, according to Figueira, the ultimate decision now rests with the people of Region 10 and the wider Guyanese electorate.