The Prime Ministerial Candidate of the APNU+AFC coalition, Moses Nagamootoo on Sunday, told members of the Guyanese community in Queens, New York that they must work along with the APNU and AFC to ensure that the recently formed coalition works for Guyana’s benefit.
Nagamootoo spent just under 50 minutes addressing the packed auditorium at Naresa’s Palance in Queens and told the gathering that it is time for Guyana to move forward. He said there have been many efforts in the past at a unity government but this time the effort will see reality. Reflecting on the Jagan and Burnham era, Mr. Nagamootoo said up to 1985, the two late leaders were preparing to form a coalition government but that never materialized. He said the APNU+AFC team now offers the same hope but must be supported.
“We have to make it work. This is not about us. This is about you and this is what you want, and this is an objective reality playing out as a drama before your eyes. It is one that has eluded us for 60 years but it is now a reality”, Nagamootoo said.
He spoke about a Saturday meeting in New Jersey with Dr. Joey Jagan who is the son of late President Cheddi Jagan. Nagamootoo said even Joey Jagan has seen the necessity for national unity.
“Everywhere we go we are getting goodwill and we are getting support”.
Nagamootoo said his political life has pushed him to ensure a government of national unity. He said he is the one who in the past was beaten and thrown in jail but he is not one who will remain in the past but prefers to focus on the future as he “turns the leaf and sees the new page in the album and do a selfie and smile, I can write the future history today the way I want to write it because I am in control and because I am in control of my destiny and if I can do that you can do that”. 
He cautioned the crowd that they cannot look in their rear view mirror all of the time because they could “crash the car or the vehicle”. According to Nagamootoo the focus must be on the future. He told the meeting that although the AFC was at one time afraid of losing its identity in a coalition setting, the party decided to move in that direction because the country cannot afford another “three or five years of Ramotar”.
Throughout his address, the hundreds gathered in the auditorium cheered him on as he spoke about the need for Guyana to move away from race hate and race baiting and more in the direction of a united country with a unity government.
He reminded those gathered that Guyanese are dependent on each other regardless of their race and therefore they must work closer together to attain their objectives.
Mr. Nagamootoo fought back claims that the Opposition has been blocking development in Guyana. He said the opposition parties have been fighting and blocking corruption and he pointed to the Surendra contract for the Specialty Hospital and the concerns by the opposition that were ignored by the government until the Surendra company was able to make off with hundreds of millions in Guyana dollars without the project not shifting anywhere off of the ground.
Nagamootoo said cases like those are what the Opposition parties have been blocking and the government would ignore its warnings. He said an APNU-AFC government would see real development that would be of benefit to the Guyanese people. He also chided the PPP civic government for not calling local government elections in over 17 years even as they complained about rigging of elections under the PNC government.
The Prime Ministerial Candidate told the Queens meeting that the time is now for Guyana to move forward and realise its many potential.
Filed: 23rd March, 2015
Coverage of Campaign 2015 on the Road…Guyana Elections, Compliments of Fly Jamaica Airways
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