President Ali’s speech had to be “celebratory and conciliatory”

Dear Editor,
Like so many I was privileged to attend the inauguration of his Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, ninth Executive President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and I must say that the programme was fitting in every respect, from the review of the guard of honour, with the 21 Gun Salute, the Police Military Band, the cultural dances, the performance by Jackie Jaxx the poem by Nikhil Sankar and the eloquence displayed by the Chairwoman, Michella Abraham-Ali were all magical.
The breathtaking moment came after the introduction of Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and he stepped up to the podium to make his inauguration speech to address our nation for the first time as Guyana’s ninth Executive President.
Immediately, Guyanese had the opportunity to see a President who is confident, filled with strength and courage and all those who have questions about his qualifications were spellbound.
As I listened to our President, I could not stop thinking about the record 153 days people in and out of Guyana endured the electoral drama with the political roller coaster.
Following the March 2 General and Regional Elections, our country’s political, civic, businessmen and women and citizens generally should be commended for a violent-free period.
Anticlimactically, the opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPPC) emerged triumphantly and Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali was sworn in as the nation’s ninth Executive President on August 2, 2020.
The following day, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) dismissed the charges brought against the Chairwoman of the Elections Commission, Retired Justice Claudette Singh. We don’t expect the political spectacle to completely end, though; among other things, the Chief Executive Officer still faces some legal hurdles, and elections petitions about fraud will be filed by the vanquished APNU/AFC coalition.
Yet, for all the torment involving the political contenders, the Elections Commission, the local and regional courts, Caricom, the media, and international and local observers, the elections are the relatively easy part of the country’s democracy travails.
As I sat and listened to our President speak, I kept saying that his speech has to be “celebratory and conciliatory” to every Guyanese and organisation that went through the turmoil of the 2020 elections. It is evident that good governance will be a critical desideratum, and some key values stand out; integrity is one such value.
The onus is on our dear President Dr Irfaan Ali and the PPP/C to act decisively to ensure that corruption doesn’t again become one of the socio-political maladies associated with governance in Guyana. The advent of oil and the money that it will bring necessitates having aggressive anti-corruption precepts and practices. Not just platitudes but equality is another important democratic value, and the political and racial fissures that erupted in the aftermath of the elections make it so important on our new Government to eschew political or racial triumphalism and work assiduously towards healing in every region, every community and every village.In this respect, the elusive constitutional reform should become a high priority. The 2020 elections highlighted some of the rebalancing needed in the winner-take-all political architecture and structural aspects. Despite this, our Government still has some serious challenges ahead after a five-month impasse in declaring the result of General Elections on March 2.
Our country’s economic growth in 2020 was projected at a whopping 52.8 per cent and Guyana becoming a hotbed for new oil and gas production since 2015 with an estimated recoverable petroleum of more than 8 billion barrels between December 2019 and June 2020.
This newly-found wealth in oil and gas provided the Government US$95 million in royalties paid by ExxonMobil from its first two oil sales. Money could go a very long way to alleviate the circumstances of the Guyanese people who, since the 1980s, have been the second poorest in the Caribbean; Haitians being the poorest.
Per capita income in 2018 was US$4760, less than half the average for the Latin American and Caribbean region. A 2014 World Bank survey identified “not enough money” as the most significant factor limiting financial inclusion in Guyana. It also said that low per capita income is only part of the problem; skewed income distribution toward the wealthiest is also significant. Under Dr Ali’s leadership, he has vowed that his Government will champion workers’ rights and has renewed his Government’s commitment to restore the once-profitable sugar industry.Putting sugar workers back to work, income levels should now increase, improving living standards for all, particularly the poor.
But that depends on how well the oil revenues are managed and how equitably they are distributed in Guyana’s society where race has been a more defining characteristic than class.
Our new President has made it clear that his new Government will establish a petroleum commission “to ensure the sector is not subjected to undue political interference”. This development would go some way to assuaging fears about the management of the oil and gas revenues.
The Government will also have to respond appropriately to demands by civil society groups, – which are not always well-informed – for a better deal with the giant oil companies now engaged in exploration and production.
This will include improved public information on the existing contracts and on any new arrangements that might be made. Early action on this matter could douse the flames of criticism that have been fanned, particularly over the past two years when the APNU/AFC Caretaker Government was in power.The announcement of the $4.5 billion emergency response to help at the “household” level during the COVID-19 pandemic was welcoming.
As was reported, the new Government has already secured 46,000 rapid antibody test kits, 240,000 surgical masks and face shields – this has already shown the commitment of this Government.
Managing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is also a major and urgent challenge. Guyana has over 500 cases of which 186 persons have recovered and 22 have died. However, the picture is not clear. The five-month impasse over declaring the election results of the Guyana elections coincided with the spread of the coronavirus. With no elected Government in place, tackling the disease was less than adequate and a huge spike was recorded in July.
However, our new Government has stepped up to the plate to prevent a backlash from Guyanese who have tolerated it only because of their greater anxiety over the threats to their peace and security posed by the five-month uncertainty over the elections result.
We all know that the APNU/AFC has failed Guyana’s population of approximately 750,000 people in the past five years.
The new Government has the real opportunity to tackle and correct every mistake made by the APNU/AFC Government.
There is no need for fear, there is no need for distinction based on political persuasion, no need for distinction based on religious belief or ethnicity. This is a Government for all of Guyana and that is the way Ali’s Government will operate.

Sincerely,
David Adams