Attorney-at-law Basil Williams has started the United States leg of his “Meet and Greet the Presidential Candidate” campaign in Orlando, Florida.
This is part of his efforts to gain support for his bid to be nominated as the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) presidential candidate for the August 2011 general elections.
Williams was the guest at a fund-raising reception hosted by the Rotary Club on Tuesday, January 18. There he spoke on his vision for Guyana, which is to invest in the Guyanese people “to ensure they have a decent standard of living.” “There’s high employment because we are beset by (a) high rate of joblessness now, the youths are affected in that area,” he said, adding that he would seek to create a society where there are opportunities for everyone. “I understand the importance of all the ethnic groups in Guyana seeing themselves as working towards one goal, and that there is progress for themselves and for the country as a whole; recognizing the existence of each other and being culturally and morally in sync with themselves and with one another.”
Basil Williams (third from left) and other U.S. based Guyanese
Williams declared that security was another area of concern for Guyanese. However, he impressed upon the Guyanese diaspora not to give up on Guyana. “I hope to provide the type of foundation and condition in Guyana for them to easily return, if they wish. They should also be aware of direct diaspora investment, they have a lot of money…and my policies will be able to direct them to the different opportunities in Guyana that they could invest in,” Williams told this publication.
In the meantime, Williams told Guyana Times International that there was enthusiasm about his proposal for shared governance. He believes no one group could manage Guyana by itself; everyone needs to be on board. “I indicated my position. So that would mean dismantling the current constitutional powers of the president and reorganizing the whole constitution, taking into account the variety and diversity of the people in Guyana,” the presidential-hopeful said.
Williams’s campaign theme is “Investing in the Guyanese people and giving them a new deal.” His other meet-and-greet events include meetings with the Guyanese business communities and receptions in Georgia, Maryland and New York.
Williams is among five candidates of the PNCR vying for the presidential candidacy. The others are Attorney-at-Law James Bond; Retired Brigadier General David Granger, and former government ministers Carl Greenidge and Dr. Faith Harding. The Granger and Harding campaigns have already sought the support of Guyanese in the U.S.
The PNCR will nominate a presidential candidate on February 19 during the party’s special congress.
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