NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE FROM MR. DONALD RAMOTAR, FORMER PRESIDENT

Jan 01, 2019 News

Dear fellow members of our large Guyanese family. As we celebrate another year in which we have been gifted life, let us pause to take note of this very critical juncture in our nation’s young democracy.
Over the past few weeks we have seen some historic happenings in our Parliament that saw the government losing its majority. We also witnessed a very commendable response of acceptance of those results by the leader of the ruling coalition and President of the country.
Since then, however, there have been rumblings from all kinds of quarters about rethinking that position. To do so would retard so much of the progress made since 1992 when our first free and fair elections in Guyana for decades were staged.
We have simply come too far as a nation rebuilding its democratic institutions to be fiddling with whether losing a majority in the Parliament in a vote of no confidence is valid or not. May Guyana display to the world that we have come of age and just as how peacefully power was transferred in the last election so too will this vote recording the government’s loss of its majority be just as readily accepted. To do otherwise would undermine confidence, create instability and put Guyana right where we were in the pre 1992 period.
This must stop. I call for political maturity and a sense of nationalism to be displayed. Our nation has the chance to demonstrate to the world that our democracy is strong and mature. We can begin the new year more united than ever showing that we believe in the rule of law and insisting that our political differences must be resolved legally, constitutionally and by abiding to the democratic norms.
We must encourage our people to make choices on the merits of ideas and proposals. Our sense of patriotism must override every other consideration.
This is a time when we must not only make decisions based on our present reality, but must look at future impacts of what we do to future generations. We must always keep the welfare of all Guyanese uppermost in our minds.
In 2019, let us all resolve to work towards a strengthened united Guyana firmly based on the principles of democracy and the rule of law so that we can build a more beautiful Guyana with a prosperous economy and people.
This is not the time for petty partisanship and placing personal political ambitions ahead of the nation. Give Guyana an opportunity. The race to win is over. We are all in this together. United as Guyanese first.
A Happy New Year to the Guyanese family celebrating as one nation, one people with one destiny.

Donald Ramotar, Former President

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