Irfaan Ali meets Guyanese Diaspora during NYC visit

…promises to restore “lost hope” to Guyanese

Presidential Candidate of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has promised to create a country that all Guyanese – both local and abroad – will benefit from and feel a sense of pride at the direction the country is going.
Speaking on a radio programme hosted by New York-based Fire Fest 101 Radio, Ali said there is nothing in the country right now that incites excitement among Guyanese, whether at home or in the Diaspora.
“People have lost hope; they don’t see a future, they don’t aspire to something. Three and a half years ago… everyone was involved in something or the other that progressed them, that showed they have hope for a future, that they have hope for a better Guyana, that they have hope for better prospects for their families to the extent that we had many persons from the Diaspora who came back and they were investing in that future because they saw hope in the country. They saw the country leading in a direction that would create opportunities for them,” he stated.
The presidential candidate promised to lead a Government that will be all-inclusive.
“It is when we achieve that, when everyone feel a sense of hope and pride in Guyana and what Guyana has to offer, that is what will take us very strongly into the future,” he posited.
According to Ali, in order to restore this lost hope and the aspiration that would drive development and economic activity, they need to go beyond the capsuling of ideas into a political party.
“This means all of us have to be in a boat tog

ether, our ideals pooled together. We must look at a common vision, a common development strategy that cuts across political-social economic strata that is best for Guyana. And that is why in developing our manifesto… we have now opened up the process and we now have public forums to discuss the ideas not just with persons who are PPP supporters but ideas from all Guyanese. We have to discuss and debate those ideas so that we can come up with a manifesto that is reflective of the dreams and aspirations of all our people,” he asserted.

All-inclusive team
Ali, a former Housing Minister, reiterated that the journey going forward is not about one person but an all-inclusive team of Guyanese coming together to take the country forward. On this note, he outlined that among the strategies that are on the forefront of his party’s vision is an ICT driven country that would not only create new jobs but open up new and important sectors, while at the same time provide greater efficiencies to existing industries such as health, education, governance and security. He added that they will also look at utilising technological service as an export commodity earning foreign currency.
Furthermore, Ali went on to note that the PPP made mistakes during its tenure but it has learnt from those mistakes.
“There were gaps and sitting from a different position, you can see where the gaps are and this will help you to improve governance mechanisms and to do better when you come back. So I’m really humbled by the opportunity given to me by the Party and the wider society in Guyana and to be part of a new Guyana emerging, fulfilling the dreams and aspirations of all our people,” he asserted.