In less than 12 hours, Guyanese will head to the polls to elect a government to govern this dear land of ours, Guyana, for the next five years (2025–2030). With the elections campaign now at an end and as we prepare to cast our votes, I shall hereafter cease my virtual campaign and responding to negatives and instead focus my attention on the positives that underpin my wholehearted endorsement of President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and, by extension, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) for a second term in office—staying the course.
?. ? ?????? ????? ?????? ?? ???????? ??????????????: The PPP/C is the only credible and capable party to lead us forward into a bright, prosperous future. Three decades ago, they inherited a bankrupt economy (in 1992): no savings in the bank, no foreign exchange reserves, debt nine times the size of the economy, debt service over 150%, triple-digit inflation, and interest rates above 40%. Yet, they lifted us out of the underbelly of poverty.
?. ????????? ????????? ??????? ??? ????: By 2006, long before oil was discovered in 2015, the PPP/C had already returned the economy to financial viability and stability. This was not achieved under ordinary circumstances. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the party governed amidst one of the most turbulent political environments—marked by politically motivated violence and crime, the 2005 floods that wiped out 60% of GDP, a minority government whereby the political opposition stymied development and progress in the National Assembly, as well as adverse external shocks. These compounded domestic economic challenges, yet the PPP/C persevered and succeeded.
?. ????+???’? ??????? ?? ? ????????: When the PPP/C lost power in 2015 to APNU+AFC, it was proven beyond doubt that no other political force is as capable in economic governance. Despite inheriting over $200 billion in liquid cash and reserves—and facing only a fraction of the challenges endured by the PPP/C—APNU+AFC managed to erode economic gains in just five years, leaving the non-oil economy incapacitated.
?. ?????????? ??????? ??????: Over the last five years, under President Ali’s stewardship, the PPP/C successfully navigated the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and restored household wealth, which had been destroyed during APNU+AFC’s tenure. Not just household wealth but household dignity and pride to families.
?. ? ????? ???? ????-????????: The PPP/C stands on indisputable credibility: they have fulfilled 120% of their 2020 manifesto commitments. They have under-promised and over-delivered.
?. ? ??? ????? ?? ???????????: In the economics literature, there are typically five stages of development. Between 1992–2015, we completed the first stage referred to as the “traditional society.” Guyana can no longer be described as such, thanks to the work done on the economy by the President Ali Administration between 2020–2025. That brings us to the second stage, referred to as the “preconditions to take-off.” This stage is characterized by (i) development of infrastructure, (ii) emergence of an entrepreneurial class, and (iii) increased investments in education and technology. Looking ahead to the next five years, the 2025–2030 manifesto signals the transition into the third stage of development by the end of the decade, even as some work in this second stage remains to be completed. In other words, we are now approaching the end of the second stage and paving the way to enter the third stage by 2030. Having built the foundation over the last five years, Guyana is set for transformation from a historically primary-sector economy into a value-based, tertiary-sector economy.
?. ? ???????? ?????????? ?? ??????????????: There was a time when my parents could not afford toys on a regular basis—only at Christmas, unlike the experience my own children now enjoy. Financing my education was a struggle: my parents carried the burden of my primary and secondary schooling, while I was left to finance my tertiary education through loans with help from my parents. A trip to Georgetown or Parika was once the equivalent of a trip abroad. We had no running water, and so we fetched it from long distances in buckets. Blackouts lasted for days, sometimes weeks. We had no landline telephone; let alone mobile phones or the modern gadgets we take for granted today. There was a time when opportunities were scarce, driving mass migration. Today, opportunities abound, reversing that very tide.
?. ? ????????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ??????????: Today, through education and opportunity, many Guyanese families can create a near first-world standard of living in this small, emerging economy, i.e., the growing middle class. My children have no relatable experience of the hardships I endured. That is transformation. True transformation is a journey—it takes the right leadership, governance, and generations of progress to move from poverty to prosperity.
?. ????????????? ???????? ????? ?????? ??????????: It is true that poverty still exists in our society. But we have come a long way. There was a time when 95% of our people lived in poverty. Poverty today is not the poverty of the past. Notwithstanding, much work remains to be done to lift all Guyanese into prosperity, and the PPP/C is best placed to accomplish this.
??. ????????? ???? ??????????, ??? ???????: When in government, the PPP/C has always made it seem effortless to govern, despite confronting a plethora of challenges. They keep the macroeconomic fundamentals intact and build resilience even amidst turbulence. On the contrary, their predecessors failed at every turn—preferring excuses and finger-pointing instead of competence, decisiveness, and results.
??. ??? ???? ????? ???? ????????? ?????????? ????-??: What sets the PPP/C apart from its rivals? The PPP/C is the only party that not only acknowledges but actively confronts the many challenges of governing our country. Unlike others who rely on rhetoric, the PPP/C formulates its policies and development plans within a sustainable macroeconomic framework, factoring in both exogenous and endogenous risks, and macro risks. Additionally, while opposition parties talk endlessly about corruption, it is the PPP/C that has taken concrete, systemic steps to tackle it. This includes legislative reforms already underway in public procurement, notably the introduction of e-procurement to significantly reduce irregularities. Their commitment to building a digital economy and transforming a bureaucratic state into a modern digital government will further dismantle avenues for corruption and enhance transparency.
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These are the reasons why I will be voting solidly for President Irfaan Ali and the PPP/C tomorrow. The PPP/C is the only party with the vision, competence, and credibility to lead Guyana through the next stage of transformation. I cannot afford to risk our future, my family’s future, and, above all, my children’s future on excuses, failures, or empty rhetoric. Hence, I urge all Guyanese to do the same and vote for the PPP/C.