One hundred days in office
MR. BHARRAT Jagdeo took the oath of office [please note: link provided by LOSP web site] as President of Guyana on August 11 after the sudden resignation of Ms. Janet Jagan. After 20 months in the presidency, Ms. Jagan fell ill. And in a pre-arranged political bargain, Jagdeo assumed the mantle of state leadership. At 35, he is the youngest President of the Republic, and he has brought with him not only youth but several years of experience in government, most importantly, the portfolio as Minister of Finance. The Jagdeo presidency has been accompanied by tremendous goodwill from the people of Guyana, particularly the young people. At the level of pronouncements, he has been saying the correct things that meet with popular support: the need for ethnic unity and for political parties to pool resources for the good of all; willingness to meet opposition leaders; greater involvement of the business sector in wealth creation, etc.. There is no doubt that these 100 days have been characterised by the populist style of the new President. He has taken his Cabinet on outreach missions in Berbice and in Linden (Region 10), with historic Cabinet sessions at Rose Hall, Canje and Linden. During the first week of December, Cabinet will go to Essequibo. This is in keeping with a commitment to take government to the people, and for leaders to hear the concerns of those at grassroots levels. In this process of feedback, relief has been granted to people in several areas: when floods struck on the East Coast Demerara, for example, President Jagdeo visited and commandeered resources to help the people. When people complained that their house lots would be seized if full payments were not made to the state, he quickly reduced the price of the house lots, and assured that there would be no forfeiture of their land. When folks at Linden complained about the condition of their roads, the quality of potable water and their need for house lots, he moved to satisfy some of their expectations. These are the measures that appealed to the heart of people across the ethnic divide. His meeting at what was described as a Business Summit with Guyanese entrepreneurs also helped to ease stresses in this vital sector, and a mixed team is working to bring relief to the private sector. Critically, investment profiles are being considered, and concessions are being granted, the latest being agri-concessions in the Intermediate Savannahs. Then, as if to put to rest the nervous relationship that existed under the entire tenure of the PPP/Civic administration between government and the labour movement, President Jagdeo assured implementation of a hefty 31 per cent wage hike for public servants. That formed the basis for a rapprochement with the labour movement, and a meeting between the government and labour leaders has set the stage for the development of constructive engagement between these two important social partners. It is true to say that a mere 100 days in office is too short a time to judge a President. What is important here is not any bombastic scorecard of achievements, but the indication of a leadership style with which most people are comfortable. This is a precursor to development and social progress. It is equally true that, if nothing else, Bharrat Jagdeo has brought freshness to government, and a vigour that says the country is going places. Of course, the Jagdeo presidency is not a one-man show. The fact that his government appears to be formidable and, in electoral terms, unbeatable, has to do with the image of collective leadership which he shares with stalwarts of the PPP such as Dr. Roger Luncheon, Mr. Moses Nagamootoo, Mr. Clement Rohee and Mr. Reepu Daman Persaud, and "civic" partners such as Prime Minister Sam Hinds, Dr. Henry Jeffrey and Dr. Dale Bisnauth. Soon, later today, he would add to this complement of leaders by naming a new Minister of Finance and a new Minister of Trade, Tourism and Industry [please note: link provided by LOSP web site]. He will also announce a list of new Permanent Secretaries for key ministries [please note: link provided by LOSP web site]. This should bring an end to the speculation, and at the same time re-energise the process of good governance which, so far, has been the hallmark of the Jagdeo Presidency.
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