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Dear Editor,
A politics that’s based solely on discriminatory practices and tribalism, is a politics that is doomed to tear a country apart, it is a FAILURE. A failure of imagination in which we fail to appreciate that this is not just what identifies us as a people, it is the tapestry of what makes us who we are. We witnessed recently Guyanese united for One Guyana in the border dispute with Venezuela. This was a great opportunity to have a Unity parade or celebration with our own Adrian Dutchin singing, “I am a Guyanese’ and Terry Gajraj, “Guyanese Baboo.”
But the history of Guyana—which is both a cradle of human progress and a crucible of conflict—has demonstrated that when we define ourselves narrowly, and fail to consider that we are first Guyanese, we want to live in our country and the most important factor, is that we want to be treated equally, then we will fail as a nation.
Anyone driving around Georgetown, will see tall, glass buildings, very impressive and a few doors away, a house falling apart. Guyanese are very intelligent and it’s clear to us, to use local parlance, ‘who got luck eat pork.’ Others, however, are not so lucky to achieve what they could achieve because of perceived political alliance. There are many Guyanese who may not be loyal to any political party, yet they have not had a piece of the pie.
Editor, if we all come together with genuine good intentions, then ‘One Guyana’ will become a reality. We have a young President, who has displayed efforts to bring all Guyanese together. This is not enough; it is bringing us together as equals in action and not words only that will see this lofty goal achieved.
Every Guyanese must have their share of the profits from the oil and gas industry. Qualified Guyanese in many areas must be able to provide their requisite skills to Guyana, they should be afforded the opportunity. Our government has served for 3 years, with 2 years remaining. The Guyanese people want a government that talks the talk and walks the walk.
Mr. President, the ball is in your court to display your leadership skills to unite our nation. The youths are our future, and we owe it to them to have them feel that they too are part of One Guyana and those who migrated to study or pursue greener pastures, must want to return.
The hostilities of the past must remain there, and we must move forward in harmony. I met with the President, he knows my plight and how it has affected me but I am not prepared to give up on the country of my birth.
Only this past week I was fined for transactions for which I was granted State Authorisation and was found guilty despite no documentary evidence being presented to the courts. I have suffered enough, been brought to my knees and anyone with a conscience will say, “Time Served”. Let us live as ONE, let us Unite in the spirit of ONE Guyana, let us respect the government in office. If at the end of their elected term in Office and we as a people are not satisfied with their performance, we have the right to then vote for the next best candidate at the next General and Regional Elections which serves the pillar of our democracy. We are not voting for a race, we are not voting for religion, we are not voting for a tribe, we are voting for good leadership, good governance, good management and sound vision for all.
Let me ask, would you hire a blind person to drive you around? Would 150 passengers board an aircraft knowing fully well the pilot can’t fly? So, my point is simple, the elected government of the day must be one that can take us to where we ALL aspire to be.
This is coming from a businessman that has suffered tremendously under the current leadership. I lost a company 30 days after they would’ve taken office. My company would have contributed some $1billion dollars yearly to the coffers, I was wrongfully charged and locked-up. My company would have been able to successfully accomplish this during the years of a pandemic and political instability lasting some five months. I was wrongfully accused and as a result, lost billions over the past few years, so I am guessing one will expect me to hate them. I don’t.
I believe it stemmed from just a few people with close friends using their influence. I will make this Nation proud again and dig deep and I will make it back to the top. All I ask is for the leaders, entrepreneurs and citizens all, to remember what happened to me can happen to anyone. No citizen should ever have to suffer because of our race or religion. One day the first son can decide to be something great and his father, the sitting President, His Excellency Mohamed Irfaan Ali, will be long out of Office. We should not only be focused on regime change alone by those not supportive of the government of the day.
This should never be, so I am going to use the words of my 16-year-old son when I ask him and his siblings to forgive me for not being around like I should, and his response was to say “dad, I forgive you, Jesus paid the price for you to be forgiven.” He then went on to say those are God’s words not mine, “be free.” I cried. So, I will say the same to the treatment I received over the last three years. But I am hoping we can see it as time served and allow me to now walk, live, invest and rebuild myself, my name, my empire without the influence or interference of politics and politicians.
So come election, I too will be voting based on good leadership and policies. I am prepared to throw my support behind good leadership. If by that time there appears to be a deficit, I, Dorwain Bess, am prepared to put myself in the political field and run for a Parliamentary position. So if in my view, it turns out to be the same persons that did me wrong, I will not be voting for them, because it’s not about me it’s about the 750,000 + Guyanese citizens that deserve to benefit from its bountiful resources.
I am of the view that the present two major political factions are spending too much time on race baiting and not focusing on the core issues facing this nation. I don’t believe any one person or entity should be able to get a billion contracts. At all times at least 15-30% should be shared with minority groups. Where all the underdeveloped areas can now become beneficiaries as is meant in the letter and spirit of the Laws of Guyana, including the recently introduced Local Content Act.
The Laws of Guyana already dictates that 20% of all Government contracts should be going to smaller contractors, this has not been happening. Contracts should be used as collateral to access financing, where the government can put in place a body to ensure domestic financial institutions and the overall economy are properly protected.
The disparity between the ‘haves and have nots,’ has become too glaring, to the point where other leaders in developed nations have now begun speaking out. While I drive a Bentley, I would like to see my other brothers and sisters of this beautiful nation of such diversity also experience this side of life which I had been able to build for myself using my business prowess and resources available. There are many willing to make the same sacrifices, but we need a level playing field.
Guyanese citizens must be able to invest, aspire, dream, and go aggressively after whatever one’s mind is set out for, and not have to settle for handouts to survive. So my message today is that as citizens let’s hold our leaders accountable, let us demand fair governance, let us live in unity, let’s ignore the political noises of race baiting and all share in a part of the wealth.
No Guyanese should ever have to suffer again the way I did, we have starving citizens in a nation where there is acres upon acres of arable land to cultivate, yet we are a country that has now resorted to importing chicken and at times even sugar. Let’s form small groups that can access funding so that with the help of the government we will, as a people, be able to secure ourselves and still be in a position to export to our regional neighbours. Our schools should be teaching its people how to effectively use banking systems. Teach our people to learn to appreciate the value of the assets you have.
The foreigners investing in Guyana have come to recognise what we have in this country more than its own people. We are a country with abundant resources, gold, diamonds, bauxite, timber and so much more. We now have a US trillion-dollar oil and gas industry in which the majority of the country’s citizens are yet to fully see any benefits. What they have instead seen, are companies from multiple countries coming here to gain millions of US Dollars and repatriate their profits. That is not fair, that is not right, that is unjust.
Prior to my return to Guyana, I was a successful businessman in the US. I would have bought and sold dozens of homes, as the owner of a Mortgage Company. I would have assisted scores of first-time home buyers to own a home of their own in the US. I say that to say, it’s not only about the next big show, we have a country to run, we have generations to come, we have to come together not just for today for a bright and prosperous future.
The most heart-warming story I witnessed recently was the first son with a child from another ethnic background sharing an ice-cream. Children don’t see ethnicity, as God designed it. children see other children. We should all learn from this and let this be an example for us as leaders to follow God’s plan to see us as one. And this is coming from the young son of this nation’s President and in that single act, demonstrated the true spirit of ONE Guyana. There is no Red Guyana, there is no Green Guyana, there is a need for a United Guyana. One Guyana still translates to One People, One Nation, One Destiny. We can still achieve these lofty ideals if we can only put our partisanship aside and come together as Guyanese.
Yours truly,
Dorwain Bess
