PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo was warmly welcomed by a large Guyanese audience at the Embassy of Guyana in Washington D.C. on Friday night. Coming from another major event at an American University, the president updated the diaspora from Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia on major developments in Guyana.
Some guests, such as Tatianna Rodrigues, came from as far away as New York to listen to the president.
In his remarks to the gathering, considerable attention was paid to the infrastructural developments in the country, the low carbon development strategy, education, healthcare, security, and the collective responsibility that all Guyanese have in moving the country forward.
President Jagdeo fielded questions from the audience for almost two hours. In answer to a question about a possible third term, the president replied that ‘it is time to move on’, noting that it was he who signed term limits into law.
The president acknowledged the patriotism of the Guyanese diaspora and called on those who live away from their homeland to stay actively engaged in the affairs of the country. He thanked many individuals personally for their work in the country, including Bobby Deonarine of Germantown, Maryland, who recently donated equipment for a computer lab at Lancaster Secondary School on the East Coast Demerara.
The president was also able to reconnect with diaspora visitors to Guyana. One woman reminded the president that she last saw him at the main Big Lime in Georgetown. She was encouraged not to miss the next Lime.
President Jagdeo also met up with George Abrahms of Buxton who was a guest at State House during the Emanciaption events in August.
Also in attendance at the event were Ambassador Bayney Karran and his wife Donna, Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Guyana Dr. Gobin Ganga, Second Secretary at the Guyana Embassy Forbes July, and Political Affairs Assistant to the President, Dr. Randy Persaud.