And ensure Ally to be addressed

progress. This government was in power for five years and not much has been achieved. We can’t go back to the old days. We have to discuss how Guyana got here, where we are coming from, and work out solutions,” he added.

Ally, who had at one time formed a political party to challenge the PPP/C and PMC, said that many might be shocked that he lauds President Hoyte while serving another party but it only demonstrates the calibre of man Hoyte was.

“We have to remember and go back to our history. In previous years, between the 60s to the 90s, one party was in power and there wasn’t free and fair elections. In 1985, Hoyte assumed power following [President Forbes] Burnham’s death. He took over the country and the economy was in a bad state. Hoyte began to restructure and get it in groove. He went to the IMF [International Monetary Fund] and got a programme, the IMF standby arrangement it was called. He began to work on that and then Hoyte, as a good president; one of the better ones we have had, liberalised the economy. He turned around the Guyana economy and free it up; no exchange controls. He gave us a market economy instead of a state planned economy; the next thing to do was to get over what happened in the past and the racial divide,” Ally said.

“When he come to power, he returned some of the old stalwarts to positions and he appointed Joe Singh over Granger in the army because he wanted to turn a new leaf. Hoyte was bold and did what he had to. You had to be brave to do what he did and it came from a system that was different. He led by example and [took] the bull by the horn,” he added.

Ally said that Jagan, at the same time, began agitating for free and fair elections because he didn’t want to go over the past again. He had to go Washington and he took Ally with him for that meeting.

“I was at the Bank of Jamaica at the time and we went to see them. We saw (late US Senator) Ted Kennedy and others and Dr Jagan explained the problems in Guyana. He spoke to the Carter (Center) and they led a team to Guyana and had discussions with Hoyte and both sides agreed to models. Among changes for a free and fair elections was that counting votes would be at the polling place and observers to observe the process. Hoyte did that. In October 1992, the PPP won and assumed power. I became Minister of Finance. I was able to take over the IMF programme…we renegotiated with the World Bank, European Union, IMF…name it. And Hoyte was Opposition leader but used to be respectful and supportive of measures that would benefit this county He was a patriot that Desmond Hoyte. He told me, ‘Asgar do your best for the country’. They had differences yes because in politics you will. But Hoyte loved this country,” he said.

According to Ally, up to the late 1990s, when Jagdeo first took office, “Hoyte and Jagdeo would talk together.”

“Hoyte always had the heart of the country. He said not what is good for the PPP or PNC, it is for country. He was able to take this country out of the doldrums.” Scourge

Fast forward to the present day, where the country had an election since March 2nd and results have not been declared as yet, Ally said he believes it would not happen under a Hoyte government and he blames Granger for poor leadership.

He said with this election came the decades-old scourge of active racism and he believes that the president has to find a way to bridge the divide.

“Hoyte was called Desmond Persaud and Cheddi was called Cheddi Blackman. That is what you need today. You need an Afro-Guyanese leader that is respected by the Indians and vice versa. You don’t see this analysis like that today. You had a president who worked with the PPP and [they were] able to agree to much. You will have political banter but you can’t take that to an extent where