Guyanese must guard against corruption – Murray
Kaieteur News
February 23, 2007
As Guyanese celebrate the 37th anniversary of attaining Republican status today, efforts should be made to reflect on the successes and failures endured over the past year, and they should endeavour to struggle for those necessary changes to improve the country.
This notion was voiced by People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) Executive Member Winston Murray when the party held its weekly press briefing yesterday.
He noted that in celebrating, people must, at the same time, renew their determination to fight corruption and bureaucratic lawlessness in high places.
This, he pointed out, has led to, “ Guyana remaining a poor country stagnated under uninspired leadership and unimaginative economic policies.”
As such, he noted, Guyanese cannot take comfort in the resulting level of unemployment and despair in many communities, the level of poverty and deprivation, as well as the level of exclusion and discrimination.
“The Republic will only be secure as we make inroads into these and other pressing issues,” Murray said.
He added that the achievement of Republican status was the next logical political step after the attainment of political independence, since it provided the opportunity for Guyanese to mould their own destiny and to chart their own course of economic and social progress.
He, however, argued that genuine independence could only be achieved, “When we, the Guyanese people, recognise that ultimately, success as a nation depends on our working together, playing together, utilising all our skills and ingenuity to take Guyana forward.”
He emphasised that only if Guyanese are disciplined, hardworking and understand and practice the virtues of tolerance and honesty that progress can be attained.
“While we celebrate our anniversary, we must, nevertheless, be on guard as we deal with bureaucratic insensitivity, political arrogance and a rapidly growing disrespect for order and constitutionality,” Murray warned.