The president has again given a commitment, now it’s up to the opposition to act responsibly

Dear Editor,
I have listened carefully to this year’s Independence address by President Donald Ramotar and was very impressed with the way in which he laid out his vision for Guyana’s development. I can only hope that those from the opposition benches in Parliament and civil society as a whole pay attention to what he was saying. I sincerely believe that irrespective of the circumstances, President Ramotar truly wants to engage all political parties in the task of nation building. He knows full well that considering the results of the 2011 General and Regional Elections and the “new dispensation”, the challenge is to get all parties to collaborate in the interest of the nation.
As a Guyanese, I am pleased that even though the opposition members have not been that supportive of Ramotar since he became president, he maintains that he is open to dialogue and is willing to work with others for the benefit of the country. He could have remained bitter considering the fact that the opposition collaborated to chop over Gy$20 billion from the budget, but he did not.
Editor, I strongly support the view that political cooperation is necessary if our country is to move in the right direction. During his address, the president was quoted as saying that; with political “will and trust”, Guyana can achieve its true potential. So what’s keeping us back? There is so much that we can do as a country considering the vast amount of natural resources we have at our disposal.
Like the president, I believe that in advancing the development agenda, partnerships are essential, hence the need for government and opposition to continue their engagements on the way forward. It is time that the attacks against each other cease; they do not help in building the level of trust needed for there to be mature and fruitful discussions and collaborations.
Finally, as part of my call for the opposition to stop politicking and get on with the nation’s business, I will quote the president so that it will serve as a reminder that government is serious about working together for the benefit of all. This is what president Ramotar had to say: “We need to safeguard our freedoms, defend our democracy and allow the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our people to flourish. A great Guyana will not be measured only in terms of what we build and what we create, but also in our character as a nation, including our ability and willingness to set aside narrow interests for the greater good of all Guyana.”
Yours sincerely,
A Agustus