Carter praises efforts to develop Guyana's unrealised potential
Monday, August 16, 2004
GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Guyana is blessed with
extraordinary human and natural resources, which the country’s leaders are
struggling to utilize, said former US President Jimmy Carter, who
has concluded a three-day visit to Guyana.
According to Mr. Carter, Guyana is a rich
country and while a lot has been to harness this wealth, there is need for
further exploration.
“Of all the countries I have visited in the
world, Guyana has the most unrealized potential. It is my hope and prayer that
the future will be filled with peace, harmony, mutual respect, and economic
and social progress,” he said.
It is in this context that he noted there is
little prospect for either substantial economic or social progress unless
there is a truce in the political war.
He noted that the problem cannot be solved
“only with basic Constitutional changes in the system of governance.”
Consequently, Mr. Carter has made a five-point proposal to the major political
players that includes regular consultation based on the May 6, 2003,
Communiqué and other documents: the PNCR's return to Parliament; Parliamentary
debate on the National Development Strategy (NDS); re-activation of the
Constitutional Review and the establishment of an independent civil society
forum to discuss governance.
“The Carter Centre and other international
organizations will be eager to assist in these official and unofficial efforts
and also to help ensure the integrity of future national elections, as
requested by Guyanese leaders and civil society. In addition, the Centre
promotes legislation ensuring access to information and political campaign
financing, and has offered this service to the Government of Guyana,” he said.
The Head of the Carter Centre also noted
that the Guyanese Head of State has played a critical role in the formulation
and implementation of the country's NDS. The Carter Centre has worked for
several years with political leaders and private citizens in Guyana to develop
the NDS, which prescribes “a future for Guyana based on a shared commitment of
private citizens and political leaders working in harmony, regardless of their
social status, ethnic origin, or political party affiliation. This plan was
developed under the direction of Bharrat Jagdeo, who was then an official in
the Finance Ministry and now President. One of its key provisions was a call
for participatory democracy, within which Opposition parties would share fully
in shaping policies of the nation.
“Subsequently, there were promises of
Constitutional reform that would fulfill this commitment,” he said.
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