Better days for Guyana because of democracy -President Ali

His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has said Guyana is living in more “optimistic times” because of its democratic gains.

To this end, he is urging Guyanese, especially those in the business community to continue being ‘watchdogs’ over the rule of law and principles of democracy.  The President made this statement to members of the American Chambers of Commerce of Guyana (AmCham) on Friday.

“We are living today in more optimistic times because democracy has triumphed. We must continue to protect democracy and constitutional rule so as to guarantee a more business friendly environment,” President Ali said.

The Head of State said democracy remains vital to national development, as it assures investors that there is respect for the rule of law and that their investments would not be subjected to capricious actions.

The absence of democracy creates unfair playing field, clientelism, predatory business practices and corruption. On the other hand, a strong relation exists between democratic institutions and economic freedom. We are therefore, keen to ensure that democracy is protected so that our businesses can thrive in an environment of economic freedom,” Dr. Ali said.  

Following the landmark judgments by the Caribbean Court of Justice on the December 2018 Confidence Motion, the business community was at the forefront ensuring constitutional rule and democracy. AmCham was also a local observer of the March 2 General and Regional Elections, the Head of State noted.

The President made a similar, though wider, call to leaders of developing states last week, at the 44th Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the G77 and China.

Dr Ali said it is imperative that citizens’ right to participate in the political process is preserved and protected.

“We believe that a critical issue underpinning our ability to confront myriad challenges is that of the preservation of democracy. Democracy is essential within states and in relations between states,” he told the meeting.

Democracy therefore, must become more embedded in multilateral institutions, the President said.

CATEGORIES
TAGS