The new era requires unity May 28, 2026 Editorial, News (Kaieteur News) – We are on the same page as President Irfaan Ali. “At this stage of our national journey, no one should seek to divide Guyana in pursuit of power. Government and opposition, private sector and labour, civil society and citizens, coastline and hinterland — no one should seek to divide.” We find no fault with those words of the president spoken so earnestly during the flag-raising ceremony at Fort Island in the Essequibo. The grand occasion of Guyana’s Independence Diamond Jubilee called for words that suited the moment. That is the start from which taking ownership of those words follow.
Then forging ahead to make them a reality. If not, they fail through disinterest and neglect. Putting them out before a friendly, believing anything and asking-no-questions audience is easy. Putting forward the required untiring and backbreaking leadership efforts to make them come to pass, that is the hard part.
Unfortunately, President Ali is his own book of contradictions. He believes that whatever he says is going to happen on its own. Apparently, there is no issue that in the aftermath of his smooth words, he goes in the opposite direction. As a glaring example, he talks up and calls for national unity, for Guyanese to be done with what divides, but avoids committing to engaging the recognized major opposition.
Over a hundred thousand Guyanese are represented by that now main opposition group. The president rightly insists that unity must be the way forward, if Guyana is to succeed.
But then beats around the bush when questioned about his readiness or plans to meet with the Leader of the Opposition. Building on words stressing the importance of national unity, or distancing from when the moment is over and the cameras are off? It may not necessarily hold true, but some sizable fraction of that voter support for the We Invest in Nationhood political party has to be angry at how their leader is disrespected, how their vote is treated with contempt. On the face of it, that alone contradicts the president’s call for coming together and working together.
We are going on the assumption that President Ali is sincere, and is genuinely interested in a different Guyana. Not only in a stream of encouraging words, but through his own actions that reinforce a determined push towards national unity. The Guyanese environment is not so cooperative. Guyanese continuing to idolize leaders and political parties that are primarily about one ethnic group dilute calls for unity.
Leaders who play that card during elections to triumph by any means are a liability to national unity. In a small, interconnected, nation made up of many diverse peoples, each with its own culture and practices, Herculean effort is needed to make unity get off the ground. Policies must be seen as inclusive, which can only help on the way to unifying. Policies must be implemented fairly, connected closely, in both letter and the spirit of what they represent.
That gives a jumpstart to unity. National unity is not strengthened by sound bites and photo ops that camouflage objectives that further divide this always polarized nation. It is true that the majority of Guyanese want a unified Guyana. A Guyana existing in unity is a better Guyana, a country loaded with potential, and more mentally and emotionally prepared to engage in the hard work of nation building.
But a unified Guyana will only become a reality when everything comes together. Leaders come together. Policies and practices come together. And every effort is made to bring the diverse people of this country together.
Words ignite genuine commitment, which inspires results. Because there is a leader relentlessly driving forward to prove how dedicated he is to fulfilling his mission to unite. The nation’s oil wealth does not have to be a divider (who gets, who does not). Its fair sharing can be the unifier so urgently needed.
President Ali can be a unifier. He needs to overhaul himself first. His leadership could guide towards unity. He can succeed, but he must hold himself accountable.
When he is more than words for unity, by his manifestation of strength he could drag along the reluctant, unbelieving, and objecting in his group, in Guyana. Diamond Jubilee, Editorial, Guyana Independence, Unity