What a disgrace by the PNC/AFC/APNU at Washington Conference

Dear Editor,
That so-called Washington Conference — which I understand was organized by Rickford Burke, a PNC mouthpiece, and held on September 27, 2023 in Washington, DC — was attended by a group of MPs and the Leader of the Opposition. It looks like it was poorly attended and was a complete failure. However, it is very important to keep the Guyanese public updated on the falsehoods, distortions, and misinformation expressed by the PNC/AFC/APNU representatives against the PPP/C Administration without any legal and true facts to justify their presentation of discrimination against Afro-Guyanese people.
This incompetent, visionless group’s main objective, as I saw it, was to attack the Honorable Vice President and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, with many misleading and false statements made against Dr. Jagdeo. They could not even give the correct answers to the questions posed to them.
Let me make it known and be very clear, especially to the diaspora, that the Honorable Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has the respect of the majority of the Guyanese people, and is a respected international leader. He is far more respectable than the pack of jokers who only speak race hate and try to distort Dr. Jagdeo’s impeccable character.
Jagdeo is a man recognised by the world for his leadership and the fight for climate change. The United Nation recognized him and named him Champion of the Earth.
The Hon. Vice President and the PPP/C are more supportive of Afro-Guyanese people than the PNC/APNU. Afro-Guyanese are always better off when the PPP/C is in power, and the records and facts can stand out in this regard. Young Afro-Guyanese persons must know that the PNC were in power for 28 years, plus they had another 5 years; what did they do to empower the Afro-Guyanese people when they were in power? “Nothing”.
The PNC always spread the narrative that the PPP is an Indian Party and that the PPP only looks after Indo-Guyanese people. This perception is totally false and untrue, and they have no facts to back up their argument. The People’s Progressive Party is the largest multi-ethnic party in Guyana, and has more non-Indian members in its ranks than any other political party in this country.
The question people should ask is why are Indo-Guyanese people more economically powerful than Afro-Guyanese, and the answer is simple. By culture, the Indo-Guyanese people take more business risk than Afro-Guyanese, regardless of which Government is in power, and that is why they are more economically strong. So, there is no discrimination against Afro-Guyanese people.
The playing field in Guyana is equal, it is up to you to take the necessary business risk. For example, when you go to a lending institution to borrow money to do business, the institution doesn’t look at the colour of your skin, the texture of your hair, your ethnicity, or your race. What they look for is proof of paying back the money they are about to lend you; so where is the discrimination?
It must be remembered that it was the PPP/C who set up the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) so that anyone could lodge complaints of any discrimination, and it could be investigated and addressed.
I went to the CPL finals, and what I noticed and observed was the togetherness of Guyanese of all races, enjoying themselves in unity. I didn’t see any race hate there among our people. What I am observing is that Opposition Leaders are trying to divide this country by misleading people of Afro-decent on race.
His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and the PPP/C Administration are working towards a One Guyana policy, where all Guyanese are benefitting and will continue to benefit from the economic prosperity of the country.
In closing, I want to urge all our young Guyanese not to fall prey to the negative propaganda of the PNC/APNU/AFC, which has nothing to offer. You must take up all the opportunities being offered by the PPP/C Government: in education, health, housing, tourism etc. All the international reports I read so far give praise for the excellent leadership demonstrated by His Excellency President Dr. Irfaan Ali and the PPP/C Government.

Thank you,
Andrew Forsythe