In just a few days, citizens will head to the polls to make a crucial choice: to continue the path of progress or risk halting the nation’s development, says Prime Minister Mark Phillips.
Speaking to residents of Sophia, Greater Georgetown during a public meeting organised by the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) on Wednesday, PM Phillips highlighted how the current government is transforming the country and improving the lives of every citizen.
“And we don’t look at race…when we make a policy, it’s a policy to uplift every Guyanese regardless of race,” Phillips affirmed.
He acknowledged that while many residents from the community would have previously voted for the PPP/C’s competitors – such as the APNU+AFC – he urged them to make an honest comparison between the governance of the two administrations.
One area, he highlighted as an example, is the education sector. PM Phillips reminded that the PPP/C, prior to demitting office in 2015, had introduced the $10,000 “Because We Care” cash grant for students, but when the APNU+AFC administration took office in May of that year, they scrapped the initiative and went even further to tax private education – introducing undue burdens on families.
In contrast, upon returning to office in August 2020, the PPP/C not only reintroduced the initiative but brought the grant up to $50,000. In the next term, school-aged children in both the private and public education sectors will benefit from $205,000 each (inclusive of an increased ‘Because We Care’ grant of $100,000, a transportation grant of $100,000 and the uniform voucher).
“Today in Guyana, you can send your children to school and every year, that child, starting next year, will get $205,000 transferred to your family…just imagine, you got five children in school…how much money you getting? One million and twenty-five thousand dollars you will get next year for your five children, all because the PPP/C government decide that you must share in the prosperity of Guyana,” PM Phillips noted.
Against this backdrop, the PPP/C prime ministerial candidate scoffed at the APNU’s manifesto theme of “putting people first”, noting that they had the opportunity from 2015-2020, but did nothing for citizens or even their supporters.
“Where did they put you?” Phillips asked Sophia residents.
He posited that the PPP/C is “tried and tested” and it has shown its ability to perform. According to Phillips, the party is ready for another five years of performance.
He told the gathering that they cannot take the risk of voting for a “sanction man” or a “fired man”, referring to presidential candidates United States-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) and Aubrey Norton of the APNU.
According to Phillips, if citizens vote for the “sanction man”, the entire country is at risk of being sanctioned.
On the other hand, he said “Mr Norton was fired three times that I know of. Mr Desmond Hoyte fired Mr Norton because he failed to perform, the University of Guyana fired Mr Norton because he failed to perform…David Granger fired him because he failed to perform. So how you gonna vote for a man who get fired three times for failing to perform? You will be voting for a president who from day one, will fail to perform…it means you would have wasted your vote.”
Phillips urged the residents to think seriously about their future and encouraged them to stand on the side of development with the PPP/C.
“We have to protect Guyana. We have to protect this development trajectory that we’re on. We can’t go back, we can’t go down. We gotto keep the focus and anybody who’s trying to derail the development of Guyana, we have a collective responsibility of pushing that person aside or getting them on board,” the PM said.
He noted that those who want to join the “Red Tsunami” will be openly welcomed by the PPP/C.
However, if they want to “stay on the side”, he said “they will have to be confined to the dustbins of history”.
“…because what we are doing, we are building a future, collectively, so that when we get old, we can relax and look back and see and talk about our achievement and we can be proud of our children because we are securing our children’s future,” PM Phillips noted.
In this regard, he urged citizens that “when you go to vote, you vote for development. Don’t let nobody drive any fear in you about this whole thing that you have to vote race. Vote for development, vote for your future and your children’s future.”
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