AS Guyanese prepare to head to the polls on Monday, the stakes could not be higher. General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, has sounded a sobering warning: Guyana’s future cannot be left to chance.

This is more than campaign rhetoric. It is a reflection on where the country has come from, where it stands today, and the risks of entrusting national development to untested or discredited hands.

Since 2020, the PPP/C has guided Guyana through unprecedented transformation, restoring jobs, reviving industries, stabilising the economy, and advancing long-term development plans. These are not abstract promises but tangible results.

Consider the record. More than 60,000 jobs have been created since 2020. Sugar, once callously abandoned by the APNU+AFC government, has seen the restoration of over 4,600 jobs.

Hundreds of taxes imposed on ordinary citizens have been reversed, easing the burden on families and businesses alike. From tax relief on electricity and water to the removal of VAT on essential services, the PPP/C has shown a consistent commitment to lifting citizens up rather than weighing them down.

Contrast this with the APNU+AFC’s disastrous tenure between 2015 and 2020. Entire industries, most notably sugar, were left to wither.

Over 7,000 sugar workers were cast onto the breadline. Promises of growth gave way to closures, despair, and an economy in decline. Guyana cannot afford a repeat of such failures.

Equally troubling is the reckless rhetoric of fringe parties such as We Invest in Nationhood (WIN).

When its spokesmen openly speak about releasing incarcerated individuals en masse, excluding only rapists, it is a chilling reminder of the dangers of populism without responsibility. This is not governance. It is recklessness that threatens the safety, security, and moral fabric of our society.

Beyond economics and social policy lies the most pressing issue of all: national security. With Venezuela’s claim on Guyana’s territory advancing at the International Court of Justice, this is no time for experimentation.

The current administration has shown the diplomatic strength to rally international partners, the United States, Canada, France, CARICOM, and others, in defence of Guyana’s sovereignty. This is not a responsibility that can be handed to the inexperienced or the inept.

Young voters, many casting their ballots for the first time, must ask themselves: What kind of country do we want to inherit? One where borders are secure, opportunities abound, and unity is pursued in earnest? Or one where divisions, incompetence, and reckless promises place the nation at risk?

Dr. Jagdeo’s message is clear, but it resonates beyond party lines. Guyana cannot gamble with its future. At this decisive moment, experience, credibility, and proven leadership must guide the way forward. The PPP/C has earned trust not through words, but through delivery. It is now up to the people to ensure that the nation’s hard-won progress is not undone.