Mashramani Greetings

Feb 23, 2014 News

---

 

Mashramani Greetings from John Kerry, Secretary of State Washington, DC

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to extend best wishes to the people of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana on your nation’s 44th anniversary.
The United States and Guyana share a dynamic partnership based on common interests and aspirations for peace, democracy, and respect for universal rights and freedoms.
Our partnership through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative enhances the security and prosperity of the region by increasing law enforcement capacity. We are working with the youth of Guyana to provide training for better economic opportunities. And through PEPFAR, we are proud to join with Guyana to reach its goal of Getting to Zero: zero new HIV infections, zero stigma and discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths.
Our efforts to promote a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient natural environment are important to the entire region. We look forward to strengthening our cultural, business, and personal ties to help build a prosperous, secure, democratic, and healthy Guyana.
As you gather for Mashramani festivities, I wish all Guyanese peace, happiness, and a productive year ahead.

Mashramani Message from People’s National Congress

The People’s National Congress Reform is pleased to extend greetings and good wishes to all of the people of Guyana as we celebrate the 44th Anniversary of our Republican status.
The anniversary of the Republic, apart from the national celebration of Mashramani, is an occasion for reflection and assessment of the state of our nation, 44 years after Guyana was declared a Republic. In that regard, it must be evident to all that we, as Guyanese, need to undertake a frank and honest evaluation of whether our nation is headed in the direction that would bring us all, particularly our young people, progress and prosperity.
Our Party has joined our partners in APNU to declare and dedicate our energies to making 2014 the Year for Workers. However, we are conscious that, as a nation, we are challenged to remove the threats posed by the scourge of criminality and violence; corruption; the continued lawlessness in high places; the intolerance of views, other than those expressed by the Administration; all of which contribute to infusing a sense of despair and the feeling of hopelessness that is currently afflicting the young people of this nation.
Accordingly, the PNCR wishes all of the Guyanese people a Happy Republic holiday, and a joyous celebration of Mashramani, as we pray that the spirit of peace, love and unity will dwell among us on the 44th Anniversary of our Republic.

PYO Mashramani  Message
February 23, 2014 marks forty-four (44) years since Guyana’s attainment of Republican status. Becoming a Republic represented the final step in our nation’s journey to full independence and nationhood.
This is a very significant achievement in our history as it meant that our Head of State is no longer a representative of the British Monarch but instead is an elected citizen of Guyana. That is, supreme power is now vested in the people of Guyana and is exercised at free elections.
On February 23, 1970, Dr Jagan, while addressing the National Assembly noted that, “our beloved country is retrogressing instead of progressing. All that independence and republicanism stand for are being violated in Guyana”.  Reflecting on the post 2011 operations of the legislative arm of Government, one gets the feeling that the meaning of being a Republic is once more being violated. We have witnessed many instances where our unalienable rights as a republic have been violated by legislative infringements. The lack of cooperation that currently exists, that allowed the political opposition to reject many transformation projects in Guyana, is once again leading to that retrogression that Dr Jagan spoke of 44 years ago.
We wish to call on the opposition political parties to work together with our Government in peace, dignity and harmony for the good of the Guyanese nation. Acting otherwise is a total disregard for the struggles of our leaders who courageously fought for our freedom.
As we engage in cultural folklore at age 44, the Progressive Youth Organization (PYO) wishes to extend Mashramani greetings to ALL GUYANA.

From the AFC
The Alliance For Change joins with all Guyanese in observing our 44th Republic Anniversary. It has been a year of hard work and in the true spirit of ‘Mashramani’ let us celebrate!
But even as we celebrate, let us be reminded that this Republic Anniversary comes at a time when we find ourselves struggling to preserve one of our symbols of nationhood, and some may argue our most important – our Constitution. This Supreme Law, which sets out our identity as a nation and as a people is under threat.
Sections of this national charter are today being subjugated by leaders’ intent on imposing partisan party doctrines above the Articles of our Constitution and in the process undermining the democratic progress we have made over the years.
Through strong and continuous advocacy we have seen the Office of the Ombudsman being filled. Many other Constitutional Offices remain either vacant or filled by persons in an acting capacity. This is against both the dictate and spirit of our Constitution and must not be allowed to continue.
The Alliance For Change is committed to upholding the rule of law starting with our Constitution and calls on all Guyanese to lift their voices for the promotion and protection of this – the Supreme Law of our Country.
Let this be our resolve as a nation as we enter another year as a Republic and recommit to forging a democracy that offers all citizen of Guyana a place we are proud to call home.  Happy Mashramani Guyana!

---

---