Dear Editor,
As an Executive Member of The United Force (TUF), I must thank the former leader for his leadership, work and achievements as Chief Executive of TUF. I know that his name for some is sour grapes for working as a Minister of the PPP/C government. I would like to say that I was one of the executive members who supported him taking up a Minister’s position as a golden opportunity. The big question is why?
One must never forget that the PPP/C strongly advanced socialism and communism in Guyana. As the way forward, taking into consideration my age and having lived through the ’60s, the PPP’s (now PPP/C) many ideas were put forward then with a view to the state having controlling powers – for example, the belief in state property and not private ownership. Guyana, still being a colonial country, governed by the British, the PPP could not have absolute power over our lives.
Let us not forget that the TUF is the only party amongst the PPP and PNC that advances free enterprise, ownership and freedom of the individual as its key pillars. The PPP and PNC were well-known socialists by pronouncement. So as an executive member, I fully supported Mr Nadir accepting the Minister’s portfolio.
The day when he took the oath of office and I was asked to comment, I said, “Mr Nadir should always remember whom he represents, where he came from and to serve his country.” After I voted for him to accept the Minister’s position, he was asked to foster the idea that Guyana’s way to development is through free enterprise and the capitalist system – the way TUF sees it – and to try his utmost to convince the cabinet that this was the only way forward, and not socialism.
One must never forget that his first position in the government was Minister of Trade. This was the ideal ministry to get the TUF ideas of free enterprise across. To date, we are not influenced by socialism. Was it not the case that it was Mr Nadir’s input that the PPP/C saw as the way to go?
I would say thanks to Mr Nadir for taking up the challenge to get across the TUF free enterprise/capitalist system into the PPP/C government’s focus. His influence might be why the government has gone free enterprise. He could not fight the battle for the TUF if he was outside of the cabinet. He had to be amongst them to speak and represent the system he believes in. Again, capitalist thoughts always look at investment for long-term gains. Mr Nadir, to me, was the TUF investment in Guyana’s future and I must say thank you to the PPP/C’s wisdom to go free market-capitalism rather than the socialism they had preached in the ’60s.
Yours faithfully,
Dennis Lee
Executive Member
TUF
