‘Not David vs. Irfaan’, it’s about the future of our children – Pres. Granger
─ “It is about whether they can grow up in a democratic state. It is whether they can enjoy the quality of life we promised them”
─ “We held LGE twice in 3 years since we got into office in 2015”
─ “Pensioners were receiving $7,500… pensions have tripled. Teachers who were getting $32,000 in 2015 are now getting $60,000. There are roads. There are lights.”
─ “Children can now go to school in a bus free of charge. And boats too. And those who don’t have buses or boats are going on bicycles. We care about education. We care about your children”
─ “Radio stations are also in Lethem, Mahdia, Mabaruma and in Orealla because this is a govt that cares about public communication and speaking to people”
─ “Let us finish the job. Put us in the driving seat and you will see the transformation”
DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, February 5, 2019
President David Granger, on Sunday last, told hundreds of supporters that the upcoming general and regional elections are not about him nor the PPP’s presidential candidate Irfaan Ali. Instead, the president said, the elections are about the next generation of Guyanese and the maintenance of a democratic state.
“My brothers and sisters we have come to a critical juncture in the history of this country. It is not about David versus Irfaan, it is about the future of our children. It is about whether they can grow up in a democratic state. It is whether they can enjoy the quality of life we promised them,” the Head of State said.
President Granger, who is also the leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC) and the APNU, was at the time delivering the feature address at the opening of the PNC’s Congress House at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara, Region 3.
Referencing the situation which resulted following the December 21 vote in the National Assembly, the president said:
“We are faced with a difficult situation, not of our own making, but we have risen to challenges in the past, and we will rise to the challenge again… There are several things we must do, and we must not relent. First of all, we must make sure that every single person in West Demerara is registered, man, woman and child, everybody must be registered. Let us ensure that every person that we can contact is registered.”
Additionally, the president called on those present to educate others about the efforts of his government to improve the lot of Guyanese. He also challenged the mindset of those who are willing to support the opposition PPP at elections given their track record of undemocratic practices.
“We have to educate members to what we are doing for wages, what we are doing for local government. How on earth could you vote for a party which has refused to hold Local Government Elections for 23 years? How could you vote for a party which has removed 38 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils? We held Local Government Elections twice in three years since we got into office in 2015 and within 10 months, we had Local Government Elections, the same elections the PPP couldn’t hold.”
Highlighting some of the gains of his government in its continued quest to improve the livelihood of Guyanese, President Granger said:
“If I start to tell you what APNU+AFC have achieved since May 2015… When we went into the 10th Parliament, Pensioners were receiving $7,500… pensions have tripled. Teachers who were getting $32,000 in 2015 are now getting $60,000. There are roads. There are lights. There is water and I tell people that while I was on the East Bank of Berbice a gentleman from Plegtanker said, ‘this is the happiest day of my life. I can flush his toilet with running water.”
Buoyed by the interactive crowd, the president who is recovering from Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, emphasised his interest and that of the APNU+AFC Government in ensuring an educated and well-informed populace.
“We have created something called the 3B system, 4B system, 5B system… Children can now go to school in a bus free of charge. And boats too. And those who don’t have buses or boats are going on bicycles. Never before. Because we care about education. We care about your children. For the first time people in Aishalton… now have a radio station. Radio stations are also in Lethem, Mahdia, Mabaruma and in Orealla because this is a government that cares about public communication and speaking to people … You can see the changes taking place… We are a caring government. That’s why we do these things … because we care about the people … we care about developing the country and giving the people the good life.”
The president also described as callous, the actions of Charrandass Persaud, a former government backbencher who voted in support of the no-confidence motion resulting in the possibility of early elections. He urged those gathered, to work to ensure his government gets the opportunity to finish the transformation which it has started.
“You elected us to do a job. Let us finish the job… Put us in the driving seat and you will see the transformation. You will see the change. In every community in every village in every region.”
Kidackie Amsterdam.
Images: Jules Gibson.