Noting that one cannot bluff their way to the Presidency, President of the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID), Rickford Burke, has urged United States-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed to reveal his policy position as the elections draw near.
Mohamed has launched his presidential campaign under the ‘We Invest in Nationhood’ party.
However, Burke expressed grave concerns over Mohamed’s lack of transparency on key national issues, noting that “he is getting away with murder” by maintaining momentum without detailing his stances. The CGID President questioned the candidate’s silence on critical matters, including the Venezuela border dispute, and policies relating to CARICOM and human rights.
Burke elaborated on the urgent need for Mohamed to clarify his vision for Guyana’s human development, citing unanswered questions on how he intends to improve health care, education, housing, and wages. He also highlighted the absence of Mohamed’s position on the lucrative oil and gas sector, particularly regarding contracts with ExxonMobil and the management of oil revenues.
Further, Burke challenged Mohamed to reveal his plans for promoting national cohesion, empowering marginalised African Guyanese and Indigenous communities, advancing agriculture and industrialisation, tackling public corruption and tax evasion, and outlining his foreign policy priorities.
“The election is 53 days away,” Burke said. “When will he announce his vision for Guyana? When will he host a press conference to articulate these policies and take questions from the press?”
In addition to policy clarity, Burke underscored the importance of introducing the WIN Party’s full slate of candidates, including the prime ministerial candidate, noting that “one man alone cannot run a country.”
He cautioned that “a presidential candidate must undergo rigorous scrutiny, examination and cross-examination,” and the nation deserves to assess Mohamed’s intellectual capacity, integrity, temperament, and commitment to democratic principles.
Burke concluded with a call for greater openness: “Guyanese deserve to know more about and from Azruddin Mohamed. We are waiting and listening.”
