He made the point when he addressed a reception Monday night at Freedom House, Georgetown to mark the end of the People's Progressive Party (PPP) 27th Biennial Congress.

The President was expressing condolences to the family of PPP activist Balram Khandai, who was killed, along with two Policemen at Rose Hall, Corentyne, Berbice in a bandit rampage after midnight Sunday.

Khandai, 18, of Golden Fleece, Essequibo, was travelling home from Port Mourant after attending the PPP Congress. He was gunned down while he and others were travelling in a four by four vehicle.

According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), Mr. Jagdeo said that the death of Khandai, who was granted a scholarship to study in Cuba, was a great loss to the youth arm of the PPP and the party.

"Just last night (Sunday) I spoke with him. We were discussing his upcoming trip and what to expect and I was telling him about studying abroad and how difficult it is sometimes, but you have to persevere. And then, in a moment he was killed. It is a very sad loss for all of us", the President said.

At a news conference earlier in the day, PPP General Secretary, Mr. Donald Ramotar expressed sympathies to Khandai's relatives and condemned his brutal murder.

President Jagdeo said Guyanese should be more resolute in fighting the forces of crime and disengaging from criminal activities.

"We have to understand that what we spoke about at our congress were not just words when we said that we had to defend democracy and the right of every ethnic group to an equal place in the country. That does not mean just committing ourselves in the PPP to making resolutions to the table. When some people try to deliberately take away that right from you, to take away your freedom by trying to denigrate you and to lower your worth as a human being by focusing on your race, we must be a united, strong people at all times", the President told the gathering at Freedom House, headquarters of the PPP.

He said that the issue of crime, security and the need to preserve democracy featured strongly during the deliberations of the party's congress.

"I was glad that delegates committed themselves to working towards that. Let us not be disillusioned about it and let us block forces that are trying to take our rights away. We must do it.