Jubilee celebrations launched in New York

–PM urges all hands on deck to build Guyana for all

PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo has urged Guyanese to work together to build a Guyana in which the future is secure for all of its citizens.He issued the call at the launch of Guyana’s 50th Independence celebrations in New York on Saturday.

“We must not only retrace our footsteps from whence we came; we must look ahead to see the direction in which we must traverse,” the Prime Minister said, contending that Guyana is “too blessed with abundantly rich resources for it to be wasted in ‘old talk’ and what has been described as ‘cuss down’ politics.”

The Prime Minister told the gathering of largely US-based Guyanese that Guyanese at home and abroad need to enter the next 50 years with conviction that Guyana comes first.

“Our common Guyanese-ness must clothe us with unity, national pride and patriotism. We must forge an identity that defines our Guyanese civilisation. Even whilst we live in other lands, we must long for Guyana; we must yearn for Guyana; we must re-born for Guyana,” said Prime Minister Nagamootoo.

This new Guyana, he said, is laying anew the foundations for a “free, open and inclusive democracy”.

“We need all hands — all clean hands — on deck! There is room for all, including the Opposition, in our system of governance.”

Mr Nagamootoo informed the US-based Guyanese that since its assumption to power, the Coalition Government has moved to “pull Guyana back from the edge”.

“It is not easy to overcome widespread poverty, joblessness, loss of self-esteem that have been spawned by entrenched inequality, deep-rooted discrimination, and pervasive corruption.”

The coming together of the APNU-AFC was a step in the right direction, the Prime Minister said, noting that the move by the coalition was an “unprecedented leap into tomorrow from the divisive politics of yesterday”.

“In short, the APNU+AFC Coalition was, and remains, good for Guyana. But while the Granger + Nagamootoo ‘combo’ symbolises unity in Guyana, we need to broaden this unity. We need even greater inclusion.”

WIDENING NATIONAL UNITY
President David Granger, in his address to the National Cohesion Roundtable in September last year, had committing to deepening and broadening national unity.

“We are committed to national unity. This is one of the reasons why we embarked on the process of building coalitions. This coalition received the stamp of support from the majority of the electorate in Guyana at the recent General and Regional Elections. The result of the elections has provided an opportunity for us to have, for the first time in our history, a Government of National Unity,” the President told that forum.

The Prime Minister, endorsing the sentiments of President Granger, said unity among Guyanese is indispensable for national development.

He noted that at a time when the country’s foreign reserves have been reduced, and foreign debt has climbed higher — coupled with the loss of vital markets for rice and sugar and the price of gold has plummeted — it is simply “not easy to quickly realise the good life for all”.

But, the Prime Minister said, celebrating the country’s 50th Independence anniversary should serve as a moment of reflection on the opportunities that were squandered, and to look at ways to help re-position Guyana for the future.

He also pointed out that while, over the years, there has been much distrust and Guyanese have endured scars of division, “we [as a people] have never ceased to dream”.

Guyanese, he said, are a resilient people. “Our own past has shown that we have overcome big hurdles and we have made gains in almost all aspects of social life. We persevered and we survived. Going forward, we must draw inspiration from our struggles and our sacrifices.”

On that note, he called on all Guyanese to “rise to the occasion”; members of the Diaspora to “have confidence that we have not compromised our Independence”; and Guyanese at home and abroad to celebrate as a “proud and free people, a united Guyanese nation”.

The launch of Guyana’s 50th Independence anniversary was held at the historic Jamaica Performing Arts Centre in Queens, New York.