Guyanese enjoy the shade from a tree planted by the PPP/C

Sep 05, 2025 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Warren Buffett wrote, “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” September is commemorated as the “Amerindian Heritage Month.” It is a month of events to celebrate the history of the Indigenous people who were the first inhabitants of this land of many waters. They primarily remained in the hinterland, loyal to their culture. As time progressed and fortune seekers arrived to settle on this land, it was regarded as the land of six races.

Crossing the great Atlantic Ocean and the Kala Pani was dangerous and deadly. Changing hands from the Dutch ownership to the British, our ancestors came forcefully as slaves and then aggressively as indentured laborers. With the shifting of the sand, the rising of the sea and the rain fertilizing the increased density of our forest land, this land of eighty-three thousand square miles is currently populated with over eight hundred thousand people.

Shonda Rhimes wrote, “You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them.” Dr. Cheddi Jagan planted the tree of peace, progress and prosperity on one side of the field. On the other side, Forbes Burnham planted the seed of racism. The middle line was drawn by the British in order to divide and conquer. Violence over spilled as a support card. Such influences became a custom manifested in many manifolds.

Agriculture was the product grown on the burdened backs of the Indians as they replaced and replenished the continuous growth for the food basket. The blacks choose to mine the mountains for gold and extract the land’s natural resources. The Europeans, Portuguese and Chinese were aligned to the business sector. It was the British who exported our richness, our wealth and our worth in order to build the British Empire. Tradition conceptualized a Guyanese way of life suitable to the individual’s application.

From the middle passage to the passage of time, British Guiana evolved to Guyana, undergoing transformative developments infrastructurally, economically and socially with the inputs of Jagan/Burnham/ Hoyte era and the Jagdeo/Granger/Ali period. Ideologies metamorphosed from imperialism to socialism to capitalism to shape the political/economic/social atmosphere.

With the advent of the oil and gas discovery, Guyana became a highly sought after port for investment for its rich and resourceful significance, exposing a loophole to exploiters, destroyers and devourers. At the said time, this nation became vulnerable to vultures, preys and predators and faced potential danger from blood suckers, spongers and sharks.

GECOM is slowly but surely progressing to announce all the votes counted and the total valid votes received by each party in all the regions. They have come in for loud praises and congratulations from all the observers including the OAS and EU, for running a well-organized election with few incidents.

Today, Guyana is sitting at a political juncture when the APNU is at a cross road facing the bitterness of defeat and to play a second fiddle role. Blaming a poor turn out as an excuse, Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton still hopes to win, despite the low numbers being revealed by GECOM.

Its roommate, the AFC, is on the brink of becoming extinct. A huge disappointment is written on the face of Huges and his team mates. The other two defectors, the ALP and FGM, came for the ride as passengers and will shortly depart.

The US sanctioned WIN party leader, was the outside horse and played the odd chance of denying 4 parties to spring to the top of the class as leader of the opposition’s flock. There are negative aspects about that party’s foundation, formation and function. Their campaign trail is tarnished and there are currently accusations from GECOM about fake result publication.

The incumbent PPP/C is sitting tight and right from a well-deserved election fight and is purged to win the majority seats in parliament to form the Government to manage the affairs of the people and state for another five years. From all indications, the PPP/C has increased their seats by at least ten percent. This is at the time of writing when GECOM has declared the PPP/C as winner in Region 4, a former stronghold for the PNC who has never lost in that Region.

One of the reasons will certainly substantiate the fact that there are crossover votes. Many electorates left their former parties to lend support to the PPP/C. This is based on issues and not race and performance and not promises.

As the day dwindle down to hours, it will be only a matter of minutes before the grand announcement will be made by GECOM, declaring the PPP/C as the winner of the 2025 General and Regional Elections and to invite Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali to be sworn in as the 11th Executive President. All Guyanese are asked to have patience and keep the peace.

 Yours respectfully,

Jai Lall

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• Elections, Jai Lall., PPP/C, shade

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