Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
“I now understand the needs of Guyana” – PPP Presidential Candidate
PPP Presidental Candidate, Irfaan Ali
During his first press conference since he was announced as the Presidential Candidate of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Mohamed Irfaan Ali, has indicated that he is ready to represent the country, and that he will be President “very soon”.
Yesterday, at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, after months of shying away from the press, Ali said that he has got the chance to learn from the people and to appreciate their suffering.
Reading from an essay, he wrote about his travels across the country, the Presidential candidate said, “We’re in the process of finalizing our manifesto. Our approach to this has been broadened to include the views of many stakeholders and, also, of people in the villages, in the communities, and on the ground.”
He said that he has, so far, visited almost every region and will complete his expedition soon to the others. Visiting the communities, he said, has allowed him “to listen and understand the specific issues facing different regions and communities.”
He waxed that the government has made many promises that it has not kept, and that it has implemented regressive policies. Through his recent expeditions, he said that the government’s implementations have been “creating hardship at every level whether it’s at the agricultural level, in the healthcare system and whether it’s in various industries in the different regions, and this is affecting the livelihood and living conditions of the country”.
Ali said that the suffering of the people he has interacted with, speaks to “how life is worst off over the last four years.”
The issues he claims to have noticed are evident in sectors like health, security, education, and in the quality of services provided to hinterland and river rain communities.
He said that these issues are consistent throughout the various communities, arguing that Guyana has worsened according to various international indicators of corruption and transparency.
“The economy has lost approximately 37,000 jobs, which is a major issue for communities all across the country, particularly – I find out – in relation to the availability of jobs, the availability of money, and disposable income and this has a direct relation to the increases in taxes, license fees, and increased cost of living which occurred over the last four years,” he said.
Ali iterated that many citizens have complained that Government officials are not reaching out to them, so they’re not aware of the issues being faced. He has expressed worry that there is no concern for those communities.
However, over the past few months, he has noticed a surge in willpower by the government to reach out to people, which he opines is political posturing.
He said that the government has doled out “broken, false promises”. To his knowledge, the healthcare system is collapsing and the cost of living is on the increase.
“These are all issues that various communities and our Guyanese brothers and sisters would have been raising consistently, as I’ve embarked on these outreaches so far. There is a general feeling of hopelessness, dissatisfaction and worry. People are worried about the future. People are dissatisfied with the performance of the government and they are worried about the future, and their future prospects in Guyana.”
Due to these issues, Ali said that he is well attuned to the needs of the people, and that he is ready to take on the role as President.
As for the Opposition Leader, Ali said that Bharrat Jagdeo is currently in Washington DC, meeting with various officials. Jagdeo is expected to meet Guyanese in Queens, New York, this evening for a town hall meeting.
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