Dear Editor,
Since his election to office as President of Guyana following the stalemate and fiasco of the March 2, 2020 general elections which lasted for five months, Guyana’s Head of State has carved out his own niche both domestically and on the international stage. His election to office which coincided with Guyana’s emergence as an oil-producing nation has provided him with the rare but prodigious opportunity to become the most efficacious president in recent times. As the country’s most youthful president, Dr. Ali more than any of his predecessors, is confident that the country is moving in the right direction. In his quest to lead Guyana and its people to prosperity, he has visited almost every district, village and city to meet and greet the residents as well as to solve their problems. Known for his bravery and competency, Dr. Ali has not shied away from going to any neighborhood, either on the coast or in the hinterland, to heal the racial divide and promote unity among the people which is at the core of his “One Guyana Initiative.”
On the international scene, President Ali has enhanced Guyana’s image in the Caribbean and the world on issues such as food security, fair trade policies, development and the region’s economy. His goal is to attract investment to Guyana and the Caribbean which had been ignored for decades by the international business community. For many, his influence as a spokesperson for the Caribbean has been made possible through the country’s potential huge oil and gas reserves. He has also embraced almost all his CARICOM counterparts including Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley, and St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, among others. Truth be told, President Ali has developed a good rapport with his counterparts in the Caribbean and fellow world leaders which no doubt augurs well for the country.
What is already palpable in his short stint in office, however, is that President Ali is being guided through the governance process by his efficient Prime Minister and cabinet. And this should be no surprise to the general public because as we have seen, he has proved to be the President for all the people. That said, there has never been any real doubt about his presidency or his ability to lead the nation. He is committed to build a prosperous Guyana, not only by talk but by his action. As a result, the country’s private sector has supported him because of the seemingly huge investment opportunities which Guyana has attracted from the Caribbean and the international business community.
So far, he has met with little or no major political, economic and social obstacles to deter him from his goal to promote Guyana’s interest and investment potential that has derived out of the country’s oil windfall. Unlike his predecessors, he has become the primary regional leader for food security in the Caribbean and elsewhere. Indeed, Guyana’s status as a major oil-producing country has placed President Ali in good standing with the region and world leaders. Few can dispute that President Irfaan Ali has positioned Guyana on a process of socio-economic transformation which has boosted his support base in the country still plagued by ethnic and political divisions. If his political and socio-economic influence hold, Guyana will emerge as the bread basket of the Caribbean and thus reduce or end the region’s food insecurity.
Sincerely,
Dr. Asquith Rose
