An emissary of renewed hope
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo was sworn into office at State House, Georgetown Wednesday with the resignation from office of President Janet Jagan. In a speech at the ceremony, Mr. Jagdeo promised to be an "emissary of renewed hope and a healing process in our society." Here is the text of the President's address: "In this world, there are those who resign themselves to accepting history as it is and there are others who make history. The Jagans, Cheddi and Janet, you will agree with me, are associated with the latter variety. We have just witnessed the making of history. A few moments ago we witnessed the strength of character only few can boast. We have witnessed humility born out of courage. I want to pay tribute to a heroine of our land, one who is undoubtedly the woman of the century in our country. I pay tribute to Madame President, Mrs. Janet Jagan. She will always be my President. She has done what very few people would have done. After receiving a mandate from the people only 20 months ago to be Guyana's first woman Executive President, the most powerful position in the country, she has decided to call it a day. The only other person with such wisdom, courage and humility who comes to mind right now is Nelson Mandela. But this is not a farewell. Rather this is a celebration of her great sacrifice and struggles on behalf of all of Guyana for the past fifty years. This is also a recognition of the contribution women have played in our society. I never thought that there would have been the need to implement the campaign promise we made prior to the 1997 elections concerning the "A" Team. But here we are today and I am the President. During the last few days, I spent some moments reflecting on the campaign, and vivid memories flashed across my mind of that evening in Kitty when the "A" Team was presented. I recalled some words of mine which I want to repeat. At that meeting I said: `I want to make a special appeal to the young people of this country. My presence here today is a testimony of the faith that our elders have in us in charting the future course of our country. They have confidence in us. Let us not disappoint them. `I have travelled the length and breadth of our country and I have spoken with thousands of young people. Whether Afro-or Indo-Guyanese, Amerindians, Christian, Moslem or Hindu, their concerns for the present and dreams and aspirations for the future are similar. `They want a stable career with good paying jobs that can take care of their families, provide savings to own a house and enough income to provide a good education for their children and also enjoy the basic necessities of life. `As a young man, these are the things I want for myself: opportunities, stability, and a future. If this is what you want, then let me challenge you to join hands with the PPP/Civic to work together to make these things happen. `We need love for our country, but more importantly, we need love for one another. We should be tolerant of each other and strive to strengthen the bonds that bind us. `Love, compassion and care are not legislated: they come from within. We can make a difference. We can make our Guyana proud of us.' That was Kitty 1997. Time has moved on since. Today, as I accept the highest office in the land, I understand more clearly than ever the true meaning of those words. Before me is that great challenge to give life to those lofty ideals. As I stand before you as your humble servant I appreciate the heavy responsibilities placed upon my shoulders. It is my deepest desire to live up to the high expectations of our people and to play my part in bringing to realisation their dreams - dreams that have inspired our forefathers throughout the ages to struggle for freedom and prosperity. I accept these challenges, not as a young man filled with exuberance, but because I am assured of the goodwill of my countrymen and countrywomen. I know that out there are tens of thousands of patriotic Guyanese of all walks of life who are prepared to put their shoulders to the wheel to build a happy tomorrow. I invite those patriots to join me in this national effort to lead this country into the next millennium as a country of opportunities and a bright future. I am an optimist. I am confident that we can do it. Fortunately, we are not groping in the dark or starting from scratch. The rebuilding process began some years ago and a firm foundation is being constructed. To guide us we have the vision of past leaders, especially those adumbrated by our late President Cheddi Jagan. These inspired the administration of President Janet Jagan and will continue to be the bed-rock principles upon which my administration intends to build a new Guyana. Fellow Guyanese and friends, for our country to move forward we need national cohesion. I offer you a chance to break the vicious circle of insecurity. I offer an opportunity to the young people. Let us not forever drown ourselves in gloom and believe that Guyana can exist outside history. Outside of our shores many great things are happening and people are moving away from backwardness. We can do the same but we have to be positive in our thinking. We need to trust each other in our ethnically diverse community. We need to break away from this bondage of victim and victor perceptions. Let us look at our real worth as human beings and create a civilised environment in which we can realise our dreams. Today, as the PPP/Civic had promised, the torch of leadership has been passed on to the younger generation. I am humbled by the trust reposed in me by my party and Government. As President of the Republic I intend to maintain the dignity of the office and use all my energies to serve all Guyanese. It is my ambition to live up to the expectations of my people. I am committing myself to be an emissary or renewed hop and a healing process in our society. I am honoured that a country boy born into a working class family at Unity Village, could rise to this highest office in the land. I share this honour with my parents - my father who worked on the railway...my mother who tended a small farm to help look after her six children, and the two people who helped shaped my life - past Presidents Cheddi and Janet Jagan. I bring to this office no `hang-ups' from the past but rather the hope that all young men and women who dream dreams must have. Our country is undergoing a process of reform - a transition which will allow us to adjust to the world realities of globalisation and liberalisation. Our goal is to achieve growth and at the same time to use wealth created to enhance the well-being of our people. Our ultimate goal is human development and in all our economic programmes this must manifest itself. I hope to introduce a more comfortable environment for our people and foreigners to invest in the development of the country. I intend to do so with the full partnership of the major players in the society - the private sector, the labour movement and civic society. And all of this can only make sense if we develop and deepen a strong and vibrant democratic culture. Although we are a poor country, I think that this is a land of opportunities. We need to veer away from the conventional path to recognise this fact. We need to be creative, to revive that inborn entrepreneurial spirit within ourselves so that we can grasp these opportunities. If we forever depend on others then we will reap only what others are prepared to give. I admit that it will not be easy, but having the will to succeed is a great start. To enhance the benefits of a globalised and liberalised environment, we need to interact with the world community on principles based on peace, friendship and co-operation. My administration will continue the policy of deepening the bonds of friendship with our neighbouring countries - Suriname, Venezuela and Brazil. A cornerstone of our foreign policy will continue to be closer integration with CARICOM. Very soon I will be meeting with CARICOM leaders and I intend to emphasise Guyana's position for quickening the process of political and economic union within CARICOM. Our traditional friendly ties with the United States, Canada, Great Britain, India, China and others will be deepened. I am sure that in the coming months we will benefit more from these relationships. Guyana has been a constant advocate for more meaningful relationships among nations in the world. That vision was outlined by the late President Cheddi Jagan in his advocacy of a New Global Human Order - a new dispensation in which all nations will be treated fairly and that common solutions must be found to resolve increasingly complex global problems. There is no room for antagonistic relations in the world and we must realise that the resources available on the planet, and the advancements in science and technology must be the common heritage of all mankind. What I have just outlined is no easy task. To consolidate our collective efforts into a great national project aimed at modernising our society will take tremendous effort. The essence of such a venture requires me to embrace all sections of the society. I extend a hand of friendship to those who are in the opposition and invite them to sit with us and iron out our differences so that we can have a common cause to serve - a cause in service to our people and nation. In the PPP/Civic we recognise differences but also admit to our sameness, that of being Guyanese, charged by our respective constituencies and the nation as a whole to make our country a place of hope and endeavour. I promise to put my best effort and that of my party into the realisation of a Guyana of which we all feel a part, an equal part, and a Guyana of which we can all feel justly proud. Again I invite all to join me in pursuit of these worthy, urgent and necessary objectives. Some may feel that at 35 I am too young to be tasked with such heavy responsibilities. Being young is not a disadvantage. Rather it is an opportunity. My accession to the Presidency is symbolic of what can be achieved with hard work. I say to the young people of this country: you can achieve any goal you set yourselves if you work hard enough. In closing, I wish you Madame President, better health and may you be with us for many more years to provide us with your guidance and wisdom and I salute Mr. Samuel Hinds and Yvonne Hinds for their contribution to country. I know that many more people wanted to be here today. But that is not possible. This however, is only the beginning. There is a long road ahead of us. In the coming days, I will be meeting you in your towns and villages. And together we will go forward. Long live the Guyanese people. Long live Guyana.
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