HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

Jan 03, 2016 Editorial, Features / Columnists

As the nation welcomes the New Year, most Guyanese both at home and in the diaspora are hoping it would be bright, prosperous and peaceful for Guyana. The New Year should bring a number of economic and political challenges to the country, which in turn should act as a catharsis for the nation.
It is time for all to reflect on the past year and to deeply and sincerely commiserate with the families and friends who have lost loves ones, who are bed-ridden in hospitals, who are jobless and homeless, the elderly who cannot make ends meet and who are the victims of armed robberies and violence.
It is a time to lift the spirits of those battling depression, alcohol and substance abuse.
While the New Year brings renewed hope to all, care for the elderly and the most vulnerable in society is inadequate, and too many are without jobs. The New Year should be the beginning of a new era for change under the government and the restoration of the rules and regulations of the democratic process. No longer shall the laws be violated and the people’s rights abrogated.
The New Year should be of tremendous significance for the country and people of Guyana. For many, 2015 was not such a good year, but 2016 should be a year which all Guyanese must make use of, not merely for celebration, but as an opportunity for introspection and for social, cultural, economic and political stocktaking.
The year 2016 will mark the first anniversary of the election of the government and the 50th anniversary of Guyana’s attainment of Independence which goes to the root of the nation’s consciousness, heritage, identity and destiny of all.
It was on May 26, 1966, under the leadership of the late Forbes Burnham that Guyana was proclaimed a sovereign nation. Guyanese affirmed their belief that they shall remain free and that the political directorate must revere their freedom which is founded upon respect, moral and spiritual values and the rule of law.
The undying recognition of ability, integrity and merit should encourage all Guyanese to make a special effort during the course of 2016 to reflect very seriously on the meaning of independence and to ask themselves whether they are truly honoring the sacrifices and living up to the ideals, aspirations and the indomitable spirit of the founding fathers.
Today, Guyana is beset by a debilitating sense of crisis. The historic goals that were set for its development in those momentous years since independence have not been achieved. Its economy is teetering and its national institutions are failing or are dysfunctional. The government is now faced with the arduous task of correcting the many ills inherited from the last government.
However, there are some positive developments. The people’s confidence and hope have been restored and the government has started the process to unite the races, improve the infrastructure that were decimated by the PPP regime and put the country’s finances in order.
Only seven months in office, and the government has transformed Georgetown.
It is unfortunate that the government assumed power at a time when its GDP is declining, when there is a huge national debt and falling commodities prices, but fortunately for the country, its oil import bill has been cut in half due to lower prices for oil.
The New Year should be the beginning of a new era for the government and the people of Guyana to confront and eradicate crime, rebuild the fragile economy, end joblessness and help the poor to rise above their poverty status.
It is a time for the nation to strive for unity and to accelerate its progress towards the realization of the goal of a better life for all. Happy New Year to all.