My reasons for supporting Donald Ramotar

Oct 07, 2011 Letters

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Dear Editor,
It is difficult to convince people whose minds are already made up. So the content of this letter is not meant for the likes of Lurlene Nestor, Mark Archer, Malcolm Harripaul, Freddie Kissoon or Sasenarine Singh. These are all die-hard supporters of their respective parties, and cannot be considered to be objective in their analysis.
I am therefore appealing to those undecided voters, and those young Guyanese who may be voting for the first time.
I do not have a racist bone in my body: My first wife was of mixed race, mostly Black. My second wife was of Indian descent. My best friends are the Mayor of Georgetown who is Black, and the publisher of Kaieteur News who is Indian. I have never been a member of any political party, for I reserve the freedom to speak my mind.
I am neither Black nor Indian. As a mater of fact, I’m so white that most people have difficulties believing I’m actually Guyanese. Why is this information relevant? And why am I telling you this? Because unlike most political pundits, I am not biased… you can trust me to tell you the truth every time!
In previous letters, I have been very critical of President Bharrat Jagdeo. I’ve called for the resignation of Home Affairs Minister and old school friend, Clement Rohee. I have exposed the Florida Real Estate Broker turned road builder, the incompetent and opportunist, Makeshwar Fip Motilall. And with the same ferocity, I have been critical of PNCR Leader Robert Corbin, and APNU presidential hopeful David Granger.
I am objective and fair; I call a spade a spade. I was once loved by the PNCR when I criticized members of the government. Now they despise me because I’m convinced that APNU is bad news for the Guyanese people. That grouping will undo all the projects now on stream, and delay the country’s development. In the zeal to bring Jagdeo and his Administration “to justice”, the grouping will spend years and waste an enormous amount of taxpayers money in this witch-hunt, and get nothing done for the Guyanese people.
And so, it is against this backdrop that I give you my reasons for supporting PPP/C Presidential Candidate Donald Ramotar, and I hope you would too, when you go to the polls later this year.
Regardless of what you may think of the President, only the blind, or an opposition party supporter would fail to see the rapid development taking place throughout Guyana. Some may question, “Development… but at what price?” Nevertheless, every week it seems a new contract is being awarded for some new project somewhere.
And despite what APNU and the AFC want you to believe, real jobs are being created in the process.
The details of these contracts may be shrouded in secrecy, or the project cost inflated, but development is ongoing. There was never a period during the entire 28-year reign of the PNC when contracts were awarded with the frequently they’re being done now.
In those days, there were hardly any money to build anything, and I cannot recall so much publicity and scrutiny being given to any project up for tender. PNC supporters and sympathizers were given all the major government contracts.
Isn’t it hilarious that Granger and Corbin are on the frontline now crying foul, and demanding transparency in the bidding process?
How many PPP supporters do you believe got contracts from the PNC government in those days? In fact, if a Guyanese did not have a PNC Party card, he/she was very unlikely to get a job in the public service.
If APNU wants to tie Donald Ramotar to the policies of the Jagdeo Administration, it is fair game to tie David Granger, Robert Corbin and Carl Greenidge to the corrupt, failed policies of the PNC era. And why not? They were there as part of that regime, and they condone discrimination in the work force by their silence.
The youths of this country need to know, and older folks need to be reminded of Guyana’s shameful past under the PNC Government.
I am convinced that if the opposition in Parliament had given some critical support to the government’s plans for infrastructural development of the country instead of fighting the PPP/C Administration on every project they tried to develop, the Jagdeo Administration may not have been so secretive.
Your home may be leaking in a few places, and Donald Ramotar is pledging to fix them. The opposition APNU and AFC are both promising to replace your roof entirely. They will dismantle the old structure, and soon realize that without the knowledge and resources, it is much easier to tear down something, than to build it back again. I don’t know anyone who would want to be caught without a roof when it starts to rain.
My fellow Guyanese, It is imperative that Donald Ramotar be elected to continue this surge in our Nation’s development. I feel sure he will run an administration that’s accountable to the Guyanese people, for he is a man of scrupulous professional integrity. He will not judge anyone by the color of their skin, but will do so by the content of their character.
But if there is one reason why women in particular should turn out in droves to re-elect the PPP/C regardless of their political affiation, it is because for the first time, there are real laws with teeth, to protection them and their children from the scourge of abuse. And a President Ramotar will ensure this trend continues!
Harry Gill

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