APNU Presidential Candidate Vows Indigenous Empowerment and Hinterland Transformation
By Antonia Dey | HGP Nightly News
Presidential candidate for the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Aubrey Norton, says that his party will prioritize genuine empowerment of Guyana’s indigenous communities, especially the youth, by training them to lead and govern their villages.
Speaking during an appearance on the Context program hosted by veteran journalist Enrico Woolford, Norton emphasized the need for capacity building and competence-based governance.
“We want genuine empowerment where we train the youths, we train people in indigenous communities, and give them the capacity to govern themselves,” Norton said. “This is about self-governance in a proper way, based on competence and service to the people.”
He argued that without proper training, young indigenous leaders remain vulnerable to manipulation and incapable of resisting political interference.
“You cannot continue in a situation where the people to lead must come from outside the community,” Norton stated.
Hinterland Infrastructure in Focus
APNU’s prime ministerial candidate, Juretha Fernandes, echoed similar sentiments and pledged significant investments in hinterland infrastructure if elected. She cited transportation challenges as a primary obstacle to development and economic inclusion.
“We’re going to be investing heavily when it comes to building highways that bridge the hinterland to the coastland,” Fernandes said, adding that hinterland development was neglected under the current PPP/C government.
She also emphasized that an APNU-led administration would rectify that imbalance by enhancing accessibility and allocating more resources to indigenous livelihoods.
