Hoyte’s legacy needs to be looked at in a holistic manner
A SPECIAL lecture reflecting on the contributions and legacy of former President Mr. Desmond Hoyte is slated to be held at 17:00 hrs this afternoon at the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown.

The main speaker at the event, which was reportedly organized by the ‘Desmond Hoyte Foundation’,  is former army Chief of Staff, Major General (rt’d) Mr. Joe Singh.

One hopes that the well-respected Mr. Singh, during his presentation, will no doubt speak openly, factually and holistically about Hoyte’s contributions to Guyana, since there is a great polarization in opinions as to what exactly was the legacy left by Hoyte.

In fact, it is customary in Guyanese tradition not to speak ill of the dead. And that is how it should be. But Hoyte’s legacy would be incomplete unless there is a holistic view – a total picture – of his ‘actual legacy’ and the circumstances that led to the ‘opening-up’ of the economy under his presidency.

There is no doubt that Hoyte had a multifaceted and complex personality. His highly controversial and politically charged ‘mo fiah, slow fiah’ chants are not only infamous in Guyana, but also an essential part of his legacy as well.

There are persons who seem to credit Hoyte for opening up the Guyanese economy but those persons need to also acknowledge that he did so under enormous pressure. In short, some might say he was ‘forced’ to open-up the economy.

One only needs to recall that the country, by 1988, under Hoyte’s presidency, had become bankrupt. So bankrupt was Guyana that this country was ineligible to borrow from anybody or any country, literally. Also, the privatisation programme that Hoyte launched was described by some as extremely controversial.

In fact, as part of that programme, GT&T was privatised under Hoyte with no valuation for the assets of that company and no public tender. In fact, Mr. Joe Singh – the guest speaker for today’s lecture – subsequently became Chief Executive Officer of the same privatized GT&T.

The introduction (privatization) of GT&T might have been done with selfish motives. (It was alleged that Hoyte was a consultant for GT&T.)

Added to this, is the fact that there are numerous sentiments out there that are similar to the one expressed by one  Gary Girdhari in a fine essay that can be accessed on the Internet and  in which he, quite reluctantly, said he must disagree with those who shower praises on Mr. Hoyte.
Girdhari stated:  “How can he (Hoyte) be a ‘healer not a divider’ and ‘a great statesman’ when, in 1990, he declared that he would ‘dedicate his life to see Dr. Jagan never get into power’ or when he speaks of ‘kith and kin’ politics?
How can Hoyte be a ‘noble patriot’ knowing his role in a shocking hero’s funeral for one of the country’s best known and feared criminals, called ‘Blackie’, whose coffin was draped with the national flag?
How are we expected to believe that ‘he cultivated a free, open, orderly, cohesive and progressive society’ when he was part of the machinery that rigged all the elections and the referendum during the Burnham years?
Hoyte himself was one of the leading advocates and implementers of PNC ‘party paramountcy’ politics when the government ministries were regarded as extension of the PNC party. Even after Burnham’s death, the 1985 election that brought Hoyte to power was as ‘crooked as barbed wire’. Further, Hoyte unconstitutionally extended his term in office by two years. Talk about democracy, justice and fair play! Talk about his contributions to Guyana and his legacy!

To also say that Mr. Hoyte believed in accountability and financial rectitude is to challenge the fact that there was no Auditor General Report for the years prior to 1992. Is this not so?

In fact, when the PPP won and democracy was returned to Guyana in 1992, Hoyte continued to behave as though he was still President as is often demonstrated by his ‘atavistic passions for the past’ – as succinctly labelled by  Girdhari.
In many instances, the eulogies and verbose accolades were just a mark of respect dictated by protocol for a former President. But these are mere self-adulation and self-flagellation. Hoyte’s true legacy can only be looked at in a holistic fashion, with the presenters ensuring that all facets of his personality and legacy are fully laid out for public scrutiny.