CARICOM head lauds President's decision - PNC fails to raise issue in Parliament Guyana Chronicle August 10, 1999 ST. LUCIA Prime Minister, Dr. Kenny Anthony, assigned `oversight responsibility' for Guyana by Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders, has lauded President Janet Jagan's decision to resign because of health reasons. "Once more, you have demonstrated a level of political leadership and statesmanship that can only make our region proud, bearing in mind the rarity of such unselfish decisions at the highest levels in our Caribbean lands", he told the outgoing President in a letter yesterday.President Jagan announced Sunday she was resigning because of ill health and named Finance Minister, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo as her successor in keeping with a promise by the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/Civic) alliance in the campaign for the December 15, 1997 general elections.Leader of the main opposition People's National Congress (PNC), Mr. Desmond Hoyte yesterday tried to move a motion to adjourn the National Assembly to discuss President Jagan's resignation but this was not allowed by the Speaker. Hoyte left the Parliament Chambers shortly after Speaker, Mr. Derek Jagan made his ruling.Hoyte sent a notice to the Speaker requesting that the sitting be adjourned under the provision for matters of urgent public importance.The Chronicle understands Hoyte claims there was constitutional manipulation by the President so that Jagdeo can be appointed as President. In his letter to President Jagan, Anthony said: "I wish to personally, and on behalf of the Government and people of St. Lucia, acknowledge the decision announced by Your Excellency (Sunday) evening." He noted that the step "has obvious political implications for your party and country." "It is a move, not unlike your earlier decisions to sign and accede to the contents and principles of the Herdmanston Accord and the St. Lucia Statement in 1998. Both have contributed positively to the progress that has so far been made by all the signatories to these two important contracts of faith", the St. Lucia Prime Minister said. CARICOM heads brokered the two `peace' accords between the PPP/Civic and the PNC following PNC anti-government street demonstrations in Georgetown and violence and rising tensions last year. President Jagan and Hoyte signed the two agreements and CARICOM leaders at their summit in Trinidad and Tobago last month assigned Anthony with oversight responsibility for Guyana. Anthony told Mrs. Jagan: "Your contribution to the political development of Guyana, from anti-colonialism to independence, from the struggle for the right to vote to being voted to the highest position in the land, has certainly been immense." Anthony said he was "personally proud to have been able to interact with you on several occasions as a fellow Government leader and have each time noted your wisdom and understanding of the historical and current challenges and tasks facing our people throughout this region. "It is therefore good to know that your decision will not automatically rob the continuing process in Guyana of your wise counsel." He said: "As the first CARICOM Head to have been charged with oversight responsibility for Guyana, I am sure the transition will guarantee the continuity of the processes in Guyana as they relate to the fulfilment by the parties and CARICOM of the principles and tasks associated with the existing accords." He noted that much progress has been made "regarding implementation of the accords, including the completion of the first round of the Constitutional Review process within the agreed timeframe, as well as the agreement of the parties to resume the dialogue process." "I have no doubt that momentum will continue", Anthony said. The structured dialogue between the PPP/Civic and the PNC under CARICOM Facilitator, Mr. Maurice King, was due to resume here late yesterday afternoon. Anthony said he looked forward to meeting President Jagan's successor "at the earliest opportunity to discuss matters pertaining to CARICOM's continuous role in the Guyana political process." He also reiterated the support of the people of St. Lucia and the rest of CARICOM "for the process of political reconciliation, national unity and economic and social progress in Guyana." Jagdeo was sworn in as Prime Minister yesterday, following the resignation of Prime Minister Sam Hinds Sunday. Mr. Jagan told the House he received notice that Hinds had resigned on Sunday and Jagdeo was sworn in yesterday. The Speaker ruled that as far as he was concerned, the appointment of the new President would be done in keeping with the Constitution and as such could not allow Hoyte's motion to be debated. He said too that he received Hoyte's notice late, because it was not addressed to him. A PNC source explained that the secretary to the party leader had mistakenly addressed the notice to the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly and that was why Jagan received it late. A source told the Chronicle that a part of Hoyte's letter stated that the PNC was against the Janet Jagan presidency, therefore it was improper for her to appoint a successor. President Jagan yesterday appointed Jagdeo as Prime Minister as the second step to him taking up the post of Head-of-State tomorrow. According to the President, the "A" team formula of herself, Hinds and Jagdeo, are just as they presented themselves to the electorate for the 1997 polls. Under the constitution, the Prime Minister is next in line if the President resigns. But the governing PPP/Civic alliance has an arrangement under which the PPP gets the Presidency and the Civic component is given the prime ministerial position. Hinds therefore resigned to allow for Jagdeo's appointment, but he will be renamed after Jagdeo assumes the Presidency. President Jagan in an address to the nation Sunday said over the last month, she had been giving serious thought to demitting office since she fell ill after returning from the Rio de Janeiro Summit of leaders of the European Union (EU), Latin America and the Caribbean. The President, 78, suffered a mild heart attack last month and was hospitalised here briefly. She then left for more tests at a clinic in Ohio in the United States but these showed there was no need for surgery. A © page from: Guyana: Land of Six Peoples