– President Donald Ramotar tells independence activity in Queens, New York.
PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar continues to inform Guyanese, at home and abroad, of the deadly effects the “unjustified” budget cuts by the combined opposition of A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) will have on future developments, and more so, average Guyanese. The Head of State, while addressing an activity to mark Guyana’s 46th independence anniversary, called “Guyana Independence: Meeting the Diaspora”, in Queen’s New York on Saturday, described the APNU/AFC budget cuts as “nearly criminal”.

Mr Ramotar, on his first official visit to the United States as president, addressed a packed hall at  Club Moka on Jamaica Avenue.

The president informed his audience of the latest political developments in Guyana, including the $20.9B budget cuts by the opposition combination of APNU/AFC, which he said is “nearly criminal”.

He said the budgetary cuts will “strike deep at the heart of this (the government’s)policy and create disadvantages for the poor.”

The president said the opposition is “intoxicated” with parliamentary power and continues to derail the government’s developmental agenda, using its slim one-seat majority, which he described as the “dictator of one”

However, the Guyanese Head of State made it clear that he is firmly in charge of the executive branch of government, and will do everything in his power to ensure continued growth in Guyana’s social and economic life.

The president also focused on his government’s policy of building the capacity of the country’s human resources, and pointed out major advances in the social sector, including education, housing, information technology, and health.

He also informed U.S.-based Guyanese of his government’s move to establish a specialty hospital and explore health tourism.

Meanwhile, the AFC and APNU failed in their attempt to disrupt the meeting which was attended by U.S.-based Guyanese of all political persuasions, when a handful of opposition supporters tried to stage a protest outside the venue.

A local news site, News Guyana,  quoted  some APNU supporters in New York as saying that they did not take part in the protest, because it was intended to “disrupt” an event that is for all Guyana and was beyond politics.

“Some supporters claimed that the poor APNU support was as a result of divided views on the recent budgetary cuts by the opposition back in Georgetown” the website said.

Meanwhile, speaking with some AFC supporters who opted not to hit the protest line, they said that they will not participate in the protest since “there are more pressing issues inside the party” that firstly need to be addressed.

“The AFC supporters claimed that there are “major divisions and internal fighting” that need to be addressed in the party…some key activists of the AFC did not take part in the protest and, according to sources, this was as a result of major differences between them and the party’s top brass, including corruption charges” the website reported.

The AFC in recent weeks has been rocked by revelations of major financial issues, including a number of its members being accused of corruption.

This is not the first time the opposition failed to disrupt the PPP/C government’s activities in the U.S.

Several attempts were made leading up to the 2011 General and Regional Elections, when Mr Ramotar and former president Dr Bharrat Jagdeo attended fund-raising activities in the U.S.

The opposition also tried on numerous other occasions to disrupt activities there, but all these attempts had failed.