“My children’s future will be in good hands” – Ronald Daniels says of APNU

Jul 22, 2025 News

---

Kaieteur News – Attorney and newcomer to local politics, Ronald Daniels said the election of Aubrey Norton to the presidency will ensure a secure future for his and all of Guyana’s children.

Making his grand political pitch at the APNU’s campaign rally Sunday evening in Melanie, East Coast Demerara, Daniels shared his confidence in Norton’s leadership, stating that he is placing his own children’s future in Norton’s hands.

“My young children are in the crowd here, and I know that the children of several of these people are in the crowd there,” Daniels said from the stage. “I am putting my children’s future in your hands, and I’m asking these people to put their children’s future in your (Norton) capabilities. I wouldn’t be asking you to do what I am doing if I were not confident that our children’s futures are going to be in safe and moulding hands.”

Daniels noted that Norton has no allegations of corruption against him and described the presidential hopeful as a leader grounded in the realities of the people. “I want to talk to you, not as a candidate under the APNU but as a husband, as a father. You have no allegations against your name, no fraud charges. You are a solid intellectual. They say you’re rough around the edges; in other words, you’re pointed, direct, a no-nonsense person. People who are rough around the edges are usually the honest and credible ones,” Daniels declared as Norton stood beside him.

He lauded the APNU’s candidate list, describing it as a “solid team of young, vibrant, credible intellectuals” with deep community ties and an understanding of the everyday struggles of Guyanese. Daniels concluded that he is confident Norton and the APNU could lead Guyana toward true progress and its full potential.

Making her debut at the rally also was attorney Vanessa Thomas, a resident of Bachelor’s Adventure, who spoke passionately about issues in housing, healthcare, and the rising cost of living. Using her home village of Melanie Damishana as an example, Thomas recalled that under the PNC government led by Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, residents were not only given land but also received materials and community support to build their homes. In contrast, she said the current PPP/C government has failed to provide such assistance. “The people from Melanie benefited from housing and land so forget the 50,000 house lots that they claim to give, without any houses on them. How are you going to build your houses when they tell you that?” she asked.

Thomas also criticised the accessibility of healthcare services, alleging that residents are being restricted from using health facilities outside of their communities. “They tell us that for us they have built hospitals. They failed to tell us that the hospitals have restricted access. What I found out is that if you were to go to the Enmore hospital, they will tell you that if you are from Melanie, you should go back to Melanie,” she claimed.

Touching on the cost of living, Thomas condemned the PPP/C’s lack of price control, arguing that they boast of agricultural progress while food prices soar. “They talk about agriculture and what they are doing for agriculture, but what they didn’t tell you is how food expensive. The country that used to be a food basket in the Caribbean, tomato in Guyana now is $700 a pound, pumpkin $300, a bunch of eschalot $300, celery $500, cabbage $460 a pound, squash $500, a pack of carrots $500. Money finish. I ain’t buy ochro, boulanger, bananas, watermelon. Food is expensive. We don’t only want big building and roads, we want affordable food,” she said.
Former parliamentarian, Nima Flue-Bess also took to the stage, strongly criticising the PPP/C government for displacing residents to make way for infrastructure projects without providing assistance. She referenced the case of Caneview residents who were removed from their homes for the construction of a four-lane highway. “They said that the Caneview residents were in the path of the four- lane highway. Don’t you see the lands standing there and when you look at the other side, don’t you see Mansions going up? They destroyed families’ homes and livelihoods. We cannot forget history,” she declared.

Flue-Bess made a call to action. “Let us march together reminding all what was done to the people of Caneview, Uitvlugt, success, what was done to the professionals as they were dismissed from their jobs. Let us remind our people, an opportunity is here to make it right,” she stressed.

---

• APNU, Aubrey Norton, Guyana Elections, Ronald Daniels

---