“Independence was not the work of one person or one party. It was the product of a movement of the

“We, the Guyanese people are all of immigrants stock. Our forebears, at different periods of history, came from many lands

“In all these matters your willingness to cooperate has been of paramount importance. In many ways it’s your ambition, your

“While, for others, Independence might mean the symbolic changing of a flag and an anthem, for Guyanese it has been

“We are at the cusp of great development which my Government intends to see benefits all Guyanese. We must mobilise

“Democracy is indispensable for sustained social and economic development. Without it, we would be unable to achieve the great aspiration

“We have to encourage and enhance at all levels of this society, a national conversation as to how we relate

“It takes two hands to clap, and cooperation is by no means a one-way process and our desire for compromise

“The travail of the Guyanese people is a saga of courage and defiance, of sacrifices and eventual rejoicing. We came

AS Guyanese, we often hear stories of our national heroes, courageous strong men and women who fought so that we