THIS morning the ninth Executive President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana will be sworn into office. President Mohamed Irfaan Ali will place his hands on the Holy Quran and take the oath at State House, marking his elevation as the second Head-of-State to serve two terms, the first being Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo.
This remarkable achievement is a testament to the dedication and endurance, meriting a celebration not just from the President, First Lady and their family members, nor solely from the PPP/C, but from all Guyanese.

The relentless commitment of these leaders over the last five years, weathering a conspiracy by a cabal to steal votes in the 2020 elections and deny the PPP/C a victory and then steering the nation through the turbulence of a global pandemic, should be acknowledged by everyone.
Through it all, they delivered the most awe-inspiring menu of development projects from world-class education and health to the modernisation of agriculture and transformative infrastructural projects. The skyline of Georgetown has been altered for the better

Today’s significance stands as a profound testament to the resilience of our democracy, a system robust enough to withstand discord and conflict, yet always gathering Guyana’s sons and daughters back to the banquet of nationhood. We will argue and bicker, snicker and disagree, but our unity, anchored in justice and our shared dream, guides us forward, no matter how diverse our voices.

And when this day passes, the PPPC administration will get down once again to the business of executing the ambitious 2025-2030 agenda outlined in its manifesto, a vision President Ali has emphatically pledged to realise. The party’s first-term promises have by their own claim been fulfilled in entirety, with no opposition or civil society group able to cite a single unkept commitment. Guyanese now look forward to the next five years with resolve and optimism.

Undoubtedly, challenges lie ahead. In a historic first since Independence, the Opposition will not be the People’s National Congress (PNC), but the fledgling WIN party, ushering in a new era of parliamentary dynamics. Will this roster of crude parliamentarians bring discipline and innovation, or will they resort to disruptive antics like we have witnessed during the tabulation and recount of the votes? If the conduct of WIN candidates so far is any indication, I anticipate the free press will be busy inking stories that will cause many to gasp with shock and horror and social media addicts will find many things to share and laugh about.

The allegation, for example, by a senior member of WIN, that some of the Xs on the PPP/C ballots “look duplicated as if they were written by the same handwriting” got a lot of shares and mockery to go with it.

There is no hide and seek in the National Assembly and no Lamborghinis to beat a hasty retreat. And yet WIN, a three-month-old political upstart, garnered over 100,000 votes, confounding the best-informed pundits. What inspired so many Guyanese voters to back a candidate without proven leadership or a credible policy platform? You take away Azruddin and his father’s money and there is nothing to stand on. The party would simply vanish.

Were WIN’s supporters uninformed that the party’s star candidate evaded paying the Guyana Revenue Agency (GRA) millions in taxes? There has been no shortage of information that Azruddin and members of his family have been staring down the barrel of daunting U.S. sanctions for fraud, falsifying export documents, and gold smuggling, allegations that could result in a request for Azruddin’s extradition to the United States to stand trial. Is it merely a matter of perceived wealth and bravado? The reasons remain elusive, and speculation is all that can be offered until research provides clarity.

One truth is clear: contrary to claims from figures such as Mikhail Rodrigues (the Guyanese Critic), the vast majority of Muslims stood behind the only president worthy of their trust. On the eve of Youman-Nabi, a holiday commemorating the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad, this year has the special distinction of being 1500 years since his birth, Rodrigues unleashed a diatribe of Islamophobia and hate-filled speech, falsely alleging communal disloyalty and anti-Americanism by Muslim citizens of Guyana.

Such remarks are not only baseless and odious; they are deeply offensive and could endanger the safety and dignity of Muslim citizens and their businesses. Rodrigues is no journalist but a provocateur, vile and vicious, and his statements demand a retraction and public apology. His continued presence in the press corps is a disservice to the standards of journalism and should not be tolerated.

We cannot, in good faith, demand high standards from the media while turning a blind eye to such travesties. Our democratic values require vigilance and integrity from all who claim the mantle of public discourse.

In honour of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, whose life and teachings we celebrate in the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar, allow me to end with this profound verse of the Quran:
“And if a corrupt person comes to you with news, verify it, lest you cause harm to a people inadvertently and then become remorseful for what you have done.” (Quran: 49:6)