I would like to take the opportunity to respectfully present my compliments and appreciation to H.E. President Bharrat Jagdeo for his 12-year praiseworthy, awe-inspiring leadership as the President of our nation, the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. President Jagdeo’s legacy, firmly entrenched primarily through his seasoned economic acumen and his apparent dedication to the improvement in the quality of life and the reduction of poverty of our people, will everlastingly remain intact and Guyana will owe a large part of its ascension in the regional and international arenas to his efforts and leadership.
I do not intend to recount President Jagdeo’s voluminous achievements, regarding his passionate forestry and ecosystem infrastructure policies, his stewarding economic progress in a time when the global economy itself is in a tailspin, or his overriding role in the evolution of Guyana’s previous administrative dictatorship prior to the return to democracy in 1992, into a unique inclusive governance model in furtherance of governmental transparency and accountability. President Jagdeo’s record speaks for itself and may be easily confirmed by the numerous testimonials made on his behalf by highly esteemed individuals throughout the Caribbean and the international community. Rather, I wish to share a few of my personal opinions of our President, as I have seen him through my own eyes.
Upon completion of my Juris Doctor degree in Law from Florida International University College of Law, President Jagdeo ‘took me under his wing’ and extended to me the opportunity to carry on the work of my grandfather and our nation’s forefather, Dr. Cheddi Bharrat Jagan, an opportunity for which I am truly grateful and appreciative.
Subsequent to my return home in October 2010, I have been fortunate enough to be able to meet and communicate directly with President Jagdeo, both personally and in a professional capacity, and I can say, without reservation, that President Jagdeo has been steadfastly committed to providing opportunities to the younger generations of Guyanese professionals, in the most profound of ways and at the highest levels of governance. President Jagdeo has been adamant in his belief that young people are the primary vessels and catalysts for Guyana’s future development and has been continuously receptive to new, fresh ideas on how to transform the role played by children, adolescents and young adults towards the full
realization of their right and power to positively assert their political and social will. This is an undeniable fact and is plainly evident in President Jagdeo’s appointment of younger Ministers of Government, etc.
President Jagdeo once even relayed to me something to the effect that irrespective of seniority, no person serving his administration has a lifetime, permanent and guaranteed position. This philosophical avowal has continued to resonate in my thought process for over a year, and is indicative of the superlative leadership qualities that President Jagdeo has bestowed upon our nation, something our successive PPP/C government administrations must unwaveringly commit to emulate.
Something which has contributed to fostering an even deeper respect and appreciation for President Jagdeo on my behalf, and which seems to have been summarily swept under the proverbial rug, is his decision to not seek a third Presidential term in office. Presidential term limits have historically been one of the basic, yet chief tenets of democracy. Such term limits are ultimately in furtherance of effective and efficient democratic operation since it tempers the fear of an elected dictatorship, something this nation has previously experienced. President Jagdeo’s unfettered commitment and respect for the Constitution of Guyana is both honourable and admirable and should receive its fair share of praise, especially since this is an unprecedented move by any sitting Guyanese President.
My only regret, albeit not within my control, is that I was unable to complete my legal education earlier, thereby providing me with more opportunities to contribute to President Jagdeo administration’s success as well as to learn from his executive wisdom and experience. Regardless, in the time I have had, I was able to gather much from President Jagdeo: his humble, down-to-earth nature; his straightforward, no-nonsense demeanour; his practical analysis of the feasibility of government policies and programmes; his strictly punctual manner of operation; his respect for our nation’s forefathers (and mothers); his commitment to historically based PPP/C pro-poor poverty reduction policies; his infrastructural vision of our nation’s future; his recognition of the need to adequately address recently emerging global issues such as climate change; his sincere, good-faith efforts to promote racial harmony;  his emphasis on the right to food and measures to eliminate hunger and promote food security; his promotion and protection of human rights; his desire to implant a participatory, inclusive democracy; his pledge to ensure that no child is denied education; his promotion of rights of children, women and girls; his passion for promoting governmental accountability and transparency; and as previously mentioned, his cognizance of the fact that youth empowerment provides an avenue for political and social transformation. This list is by no means exhaustive; President Jagdeo’s prodigious qualities could easily be expanded on in detail.
Thank You, President Jagdeo, for the invaluable infrastructural, organizational and administrative framework you have provided us with, which has given our nation the prospect of a brighter tomorrow. Your honourable leadership of our nation will never be forgotten.