Businesswoman and People's National Congress Reform (PNC/R) parliamentarian, Ms. Cyrilda DeJesus, was to later add fuel to the already smouldering flames when she playfully doused the PM with water, much to the delight of the spectators gathered to witness the event.

Another source of amusement that night was the inadvertent placement of leader of the main Opposition PNC/R, Mr. Desmond Hoyte - whose arrival at precisely 23:05 hrs was punctuated by shouts of "Desi! Desi!" - to sit just next to his nemesis, City Mayor, Mr. Hamilton Green, and the lengths both gentlemen went to ignore each other thereafter.

Seemingly unable to bear the tension any longer, Green rose at around 23:30 hrs and left. And, as though on cue, his place was promptly taken by PNC/R General Secretary, Mr. Oscar Clarke, who arrived just as Green was leaving.

Shortly thereafter, Clarke and Hoyte, who looked snazzy in a trendy brown plaid sports shirt, were seen to be locked in an animated conversation.

Hoyte, who took over the reigns of the then PNC on the demise of its founder/leader, Mr. Forbes Burnham, in August 1985, was the author of Green's expulsion from the party after the elections of October 5, 1992, when the current administration took office. Up until then, Green had held office as Prime Minister.

The invitation to PM Hinds to be one of the traditional seven elders holding a place of honour at the ceremonial libation table came from NET President, Mr. Lorrie Alexander.

A rather subdued Alexander, who sheepishly admitted to always ribbing Mr. Hinds, albeit good naturedly, over the years whenever he attended this function, said he's come to have new respect for the man having learnt just recently that like he, the Prime Minister once taught at Tutorial High and was also responsible for setting up the school's first science laboratory.

Mr. Hinds, who addressed the gathering as he has always done in the past, started off by saluting his "African brothers and sisters of Guyana," thereby endearing himself to the crowd.

He further won them over, which is a departure from the norm, when he made a joke out of Alexander's faux pas, addressing Hoyte as "Mr. Prime Minister."

Said he: "Mr. Alexander made some mistakes just now, and I was wondering whether those mistakes give an indication of the future."

"It may very well be," he continued, much to the delight of the crowd, "that he is indicating to us that the dialogue (between Hoyte and President Bharrat Jagdeo) would get going again, and get going so well that I may have to concede my position."

Were this to be the case, he said, "I would readily do so for the good of our country...to get us together again."

Noting, however, that the real purpose of their gathering was to mark the 168th anniversary of the abolition of slavery, Mr. Hinds picked up on something said by one of the previous speakers, Tanzanian scholar, Mr. Muhammad Aly Zenjibari, who alluded to the fact that slavery did not begin with the Middle Passage, but as far back as 4,000 years ago when Moses was tasked with freeing the people of Israel from Egypt.

He himself recalled the story of Joseph being sold by his very own siblings into slavery and how they were later led out of captivity by Moses.

He conceded, however, that the particular period of slavery being commemorated that evening, that of the enslavement of Africans by the Europeans in the development of the New World, was indeed "a peculiar thing."

And, though we have had "many great achievements" since abolition, there is still more that need to be accomplished, he said.

Again referring to Aly's speech, and Green's to a lesser extent, the PM said "in a number of the presentations earlier, it was put to us that it is really a challenge to us; that even though there remains some degree of disadvantage for people of African descent in the world, yet still we have to keep on trying and we have to keep on achieving in spite of all that may be."

But, he said, Blacks are not alone in this struggle, as "this is the same challenge that faces all the people of the world."

He closed by commending Alexander and NET "for once again hosting this event."

Green, like Alexander, drew attention to the significance of hosting the event on the lawns of Public Buildings, now referred to as Parliament Buildings, as it is on this very site that a number of slaves, among them a leader Damon, were executed.

He also noted the importance of reflecting upon the past in order to fully appreciate the present, given the tremendous challenges Afro-Guyanese face today, primarily because of "what has happened over the past three to four decades."

As such, he said, one of the first things "we need to do and learn is that, in the interest of the tribe, so to speak, we need to set aside our differences and find common ground to lead our people forward."

He also proposed "that we remind ourselves of the importance of education and training", without which "all will be lost," noting at the risk of being offensive, that he got the distinct impression that "a lot of our people are not making use of educational opportunities."

He further advocated that Afro-Guyanese "learn the importance of not always being able to gratify ourselves; of working hard for ourselves and meditation and prayer and the lifting of our spirituality; this same spirituality which kept our ancestors alive against the barbaric behaviour of the White man."

Noting that Afro-Guyanese "haven't changed much," ostensibly since slavery, Green said that "unless we understand that the struggle continues for self-respect, we're gonna lose the battle."

Now reduced to a mere spectre of its once vibrant past, the event, now in its 10th year, got off to a spirited start around 20:00 hrs, with equally spirited renditions from the local group, the Yoruba Singers, which has remained faithful to the cause since its inception.

Following the arrival at around 20:45 hrs of the 11 beauties vying this year for the coveted title of Miss Guyana Heritage, and the Prime Minister some 25 minutes later, the ceremony began in earnest with the usual offering of prayers, speeches and cultural presentations.