August 31, 2020
President Irfaan Ali:
Congratulations to you and the PPP/C on your victory in the 2020 elections.
Now you must address the realities of being at the helm of a nation that has been bursting at the seams with racial tension. It is up to you, as President, alongside your hand-picked advisors and senior members of the party to lead from the front and bring about healing for every Guyanese.
The 2020 elections brought out the very worst in some of our people, with social media providing the opportunity for many faceless individuals to demonstrate boldness that they probably would not normally parade, delivering racially infused invectives and tirades against fellow Guyanese.
President Ali, you must act immediately and decisively to show that prosperity and unity for all Guyanese is at the front of your agenda.
President Ali, you must engage all citizens and not allow ethnicity to inhibit their quest for success or stifle their voices. Current opposition parties must remain viable and accountable to all Guyanese, the same as the PPP/C, because democracy will not flourish without the diligence and involvement of everyone. President Ali, even you will not be effective if your ministers are working on an agenda that is counterproductive to the focused development of Guyana as a whole.
There are a few points that the new PPP/C administration should consider in order to bring the nation together to propel the Guyanese economy upward after the impact of Covid-19, which has devastated economies and killed nearly one million people worldwide.
- The government must not seek to vilify the members of the opposition by prosecuting them for doing their jobs while in office, e.g… drop the charges against Mr. Mingo, Mr. Lowenfield, and any others from the opposition parties who are now embroiled in legal disputes for performing their duties at GECOM during the 2020 elections. This would demonstrate a show of good faith and a willingness to heal the rift that was created during the election cycle.
- The government must also stop the dismissal of non-political appointees. It diminishes the hopes of the International community and Guyanese of a change from business as usual and it is simply wrong.
- The government must end the prosecutions of individuals that could have the appearance of a witch-hunt. This could provide a great opportunity for further healing of the nation.
- The government must seek expeditiously to divest itself of government-owned media outlets and ensure that there is true freedom of the press by allowing, encouraging, and providing easy pathways to independent ownership of the media.
- The government must extend its hands to the opposition parties and the diaspora, seeking their ideas on forging a better future for all Guyanese. Expertise exists in many of our people but it must be sought.
It may be tempting to pursue the opposition and conduct a program of retribution, but if Guyana is to have any hope of reaping the potential benefits of its natural and human resources, we must break free of the cycle of settling grievances and move into a concerted and focused effort to move forward for the betterment of all. If energies and focus is placed on looking inward and being distracted by an agenda of settling scores, the real work of nation-building will be given short shrift and the true losers will be the citizens of Guyana.
President Ali, Guyana is on the cusp of greatness and you are best positioned to lead the nation should you take this opportunity for reconciliation.
Yours truly
Ian G. Hall
ighall@atiss.com
info@GuyaneseUnited.org
Guyanese United
