(Kaieteur News) – Marking the anniversary of the landmark October 5, 1992 general elections, President Irfaan Ali delivered an address broadcast on the official Office of the President Facebook page, reflecting on Guyana’s historic transition to electoral democracy while calling on citizens to build a nation under his administration’s “One Guyana” banner.
Describing October 5, 1992 as “the culmination of a long and painful struggle,” President Ali highlighted the restoration of free and fair elections after nearly three decades of political authoritarianism, misrule, and electoral manipulation.
“The Guyanese people did not inherit democracy on October the 5th, 1992,” President Ali stated. “They fought for it. They suffered for it. They sacrificed for it. And ultimately, they reclaimed it.”
President Irfaan Ali
The president detailed the dire conditions preceding the 1992 polls, pointing out that by the late 1980s and early 1990s, Guyana’s economy faced severe crisis. He cited historical data acknowledging that the external debt-to-GDP ratio had reached approximately 925% by 1989, with total external debt standing at $1.9 billion USD, including $1.14 billion in arrears.
Recalling a 1990 fact-finding mission by the Caribbean Conference of Churches, President Ali emphasized the human cost of the period, citing widespread infrastructural decay, severe utility failures, and an exodus of trained professionals.
He highlighted key electoral reforms achieved through domestic and international pressure, such as counting votes at the place of poll, house-to-house enumeration, a restructured Elections Commission, and international observer presence, which helped secure the 1992 outcome despite attempts to disrupt the process in Georgetown on election day.
Contrasting the economic hardship of 1992 with Guyana’s present economic trajectory, President Ali noted that modern growth brings new responsibilities. He emphasised that the financial gains from the nation’s current resources must translate into tangible social progress and equitable development across all communities, regardless of political or ethnic background.
“Prosperity creates its own tests,” Ali noted. “It is not enough to grow. We must grow together. It is not enough to build. We must build a society in which every Guyanese feels that there is a place for them.”
Central to the address was a call to bridge traditional national fractures and resist modern sources of division, particularly online disinformation. The president urged citizens not to let social media dictate national discourse or foster hatred.
“Social media is not a country’s life. It is the people,” Ali remarked, cautioning against platforms that inflame hostility or compromise critical thinking.
Concluding his address, President Ali pledged to spend the remainder of his presidential term engaging directly with communities across the nation to promote social cohesion, infrastructure development, and economic opportunity.
“The greatest tribute we can pay to those who fought for October 5, 1992… is not simply to remember the day democracy was restored, but to ensure that democracy, unity, and opportunity endure,” the President concluded.
Source: Kaieteur News
