Guyana is crying out for a new political culture

Dear Editor,

Despite our political differences, which in some respects are good for the body-politic, Guyana has a promising future. This however requires political maturity and an ability to rise above narrow partisan politics.

The recent budget presentation by Finance Minister Winston Jordan and the ensuing debates seem to be a good start in our quest for a new and more enlightened approach to the management of our country’s affairs.

There can be no doubt that the adversarial stance we have taken in the past in terms of our national politics has cost us a lot. Guyana is still lagging behind several other countries of similar resource endowment both in our region and beyond.

A recent visit to Suriname suggests that we still have a lot of catching up to do.

Guyana is crying out for a new political culture in which there is political maturity and free from race-based politics which regrettably has bedevilled this beautiful country of ours for over half of a century. Guyana has not fully recovered from the split of the PPP in the mid-1950s and the scars of the past. It is time for a fresh start especially as we approach our 50th year as an independent nation.

The best independence gift we as citizens can give to our country is to commit ourselves to a new Guyana, one that is free from the baggage of the past and where the interests of Guyana and the Guyanese people are paramount.

Yours faithfully,

Hydar Ally