Norton promises people centered development strategy

Jun 29, 2024 News

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PNCR Congress

– says severe child poverty should not exist in oil rich Guyana

Kaieteur News – Amidst resounding support from members of his party, Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton promised that a People National Congress Reform (PNCR) led Government will be more focused on the development of the people rather than the building infrastructure.

Norton made this appeal at the opening ceremony of the PNCR’s 22^nd Biennial Delegates’ Congress being held at Congress Place, Sophia, headquarters where members are set to elect new leadership of the party ahead of the country’s next Regional and General Elections scheduled for 2025.

The incumbent leader is seeking re-election at the election set for Sunday. His position is uncontested following the abrupt suspension of Amanza Walton-Desir and Roysdale Forde, SC from the leadership race on Thursday. The two were among those notably absent at Friday’s opening of the Delegates’ Congress.

In recent days, Norton campaign for election has been marred faced with allegations of sexual harassment brought against him by a member of the party followed by the resignation of General-Secretary Dawn Hastings-Williams who accused the leadership of corruption and lack of financial accountability.

In addition to the allegations, an attempt to stop the Congress and by extension the election of new office bearers was made by an overseas-based member of the party, Brian Collision. Collision, through his attorney filed an application for an injunction to temporarily block the Congress. However, on Friday, Chief Justice (AG) Roxane George-Wiltshire denied the request.

Meanwhile, Norton said the Congress will be used to re-energize, regroup, and refocus the party and its membership to urgently achieve its goals.

“We all have to sing from the same page in explaining our party’s philosophy and our people-centered development strategy,” Norton said as he promised to optimize the use of the skills and capacities of PNCR members and supporters to make their case in all communities across the land.

The Opposition Leader noted that while the current government paints a picture of prosperity for all citizens, the reality on the ground shows that this is the furthest thing from the truth.

“I know many of you must have come across this strange new phenomenon, this daytime nightmare, when traversing our roads and bridges. They are lined with children, sometimes in groups as large as twenty, begging! This takes many forms, from those merely asking for food to those breaking bricks into potholes and begging for some small measure of compensation,” Norton pointed out.

“I ask you now to consider that Guyana is one of 63 countries classed by UNICEF as facing ‘severe child food poverty’ and to reflect that not so long ago the World Food Program noted 58% of Guyanese are moderately or severely food insecure! I pose to you one simple question: what is the point of being the world’s fastest growing economy for several years over, if our children are going to bed at night hungry?” he questioned.

However, the Opposition leader noted that listening to the President and second Vice President, you would think that even the least fortunate child has a full belly, quality education, and shoes on his or her feet.

“I want to point you to several concrete examples of extreme poverty among children, to demonstrate that rather than soaring higher, our country’s economy has begun to resemble the “jumbie bird” that the PPP aptly said was a metaphor for its growth and development,” the incumbent leader said.

According to Norton, the government’s priorities are fundamentally wrong.

“This government has no idea whatsoever of how to deliver real development to Guyana. This government seems to believe that infrastructure development at the expense of human development is in itself development. There can be no useful development without human development!” he exclaimed.

To bolster his point, the incumbent PNCR Leader drew a comparison between Guyana and the Equatorial Guinea, an oil-rich country that has been plagued by corruption scandals, biting poverty, and severe childhood malnutrition, but simultaneously, the vast majority of government revenues are spent on infrastructure.

“Guyana is trending in this direction. In 2023, the capital budget was $388 billion Guyana dollars and in 2024, it has climbed to a whopping $666 billion dollars. We believe infrastructure is important to our country’s growth and development, but we simply cannot accept that any sane government would think that nearly doubling capital expenditure while children beg in multiple locations of the capital city is the right thing to do. There must be a balance between direct poverty alleviation measures and investment for the future,” Norton said.

The Opposition leader noted nevertheless that the people of Guyana will no longer accept their continued poverty and pauperization amidst the existing oil wealth.

“People will no longer accept the normalization of high and rising costs of living. People now reject the glaring unfairness in the distribution of income, wealth, and opportunity. People no longer accept the PPP’s crony capitalism in which there is little or no competition, just government control and domination. The country’s oil wealth eludes and bypasses the average Guyanese. People are rejecting the ineptitude of the PPP who are seeking to determine how we live and survive while their elite, friends, families, and favorites plunder our newfound wealth,” he added.

Stressing the need for the nation’s wealth to meet the people of Guyana, the party leader pointed to the theme of the Congress: “Forming the next government: building a just, inclusive, and prosperous society for all.”

“This theme mobilizes us on a clear, urgent, and comprehensive mission, the success of which will transform Guyana into one of the best countries to live in with its people enjoying one of the highest living standards and quality of life,” Norton added.

Further, the PNCR leader pointed to the vision of his party noting that under his leadership social justice and equality are core elements.

“In our vision, building a just society goes beyond economics. Our vision also includes expanding and upholding women’s rights and dignity, and the rights of and the respect for our Indigenous people. In relation to the Indigenous communities, we will work assiduously to make them self-sufficient and self-sustainable and ensure they have the right to elect their own leaders without government interference. In the new Guyana we envisage, no Guyanese must be disadvantaged because of ethnicity, gender, creed, social status, religion, or disability,” he said.

Additionally, the Opposition Leader said that a PNCR led –government will not only protect these rights but also promote and enhance them.

Touching on his party’s foreign policy Norton noted that the PNCR is always standing on the frontline in defense of the country’s territorial integrity and national interests.

“Our country faces its highest level of threat to its territorial integrity, national security, and sovereignty. The stakes could not be higher. Our borders are at stake; our national self determination is at stake; the control and command of our destiny are at stake; our collective peace of mind is at stake. It is essential that we leverage our position as an oil-producing nation to build stronger ties with our neighbors and international allies,” he affirmed.

He continued: “We should seek to create mutually beneficial agreements that not only enhance our economic prospects but also solidify our geopolitical standing. We must communicate clearly and consistently with the international community about the legitimacy of our territorial claims and the unjust nature of Venezuela’s aggression.”

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• 22nd Biennial Delegates, Child, Guyana, PNCR Congress, Strategy

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