THE Bel Air home of the late Presidents Cheddi and Janet Jagan was the venue, on Saturday, for an evening of reflection on the life of the late Mrs Janet Jagan, the fifth Executive President of Guyana.

Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee, who gave the feature address at the event, examined the reasons why the late President had been criticised by some, who looked on her as being a white American Jewess.
The minister also outlined why it was necessary for the current leadership of the party to help the younger generation to learn of the traditions of the party in government, in order to face new challenges.
He, however, posited that those challenges may also be some old ones presented by new people using the same old techniques and tactics.
Linking Mrs. Jagan to Cuba’s Fidel Castro and South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, Rohee lamented the fact that, like them, she had contributed so much to Guyana before and after independence, and had still not been appreciated by some. He emphasised that Mrs. Jagan had stuck it out both because of her husband and because of her own personal convictions.
Rohee posited that Mrs. Jagan had been under tremendous pressure when she served as Minister of Home Affairs from 1962 to 1964. The British control of the law enforcement forces and riot squads, and their refusal to help when she requested it to quell the riots in the country, had forced her to take a stand.
“She went to her husband, who was the Premier at the time, and she handed in her resignation. I shouldn’t say that I don’t intend to do like Janet Jagan, because I have not been asked by the President to move from where I am.”
Minister Rohee also observed that as Presidential Candidate in the 1997 elections, Mrs. Jagan had won more votes than her husband, and had increased the percentage of the votes won by the PPP.
He outlined the subsequent harassment of Mrs. Jagan, with persons even taking obeah and voodooism into the streets, and stoning her vehicle as she left Parliament after her address to the National Assembly.
Rohee marvelled at the fact that, at her advanced age, Janet Jagan had again taken up the mantle of leadership (as President) of Guyana.
It was the history and tradition of the party in government that need to be passed on to the younger generation as they prepare to take over the leadership of the nation.
Noting that no other political party in the Caribbean had achieved this kind of distinction in governance, Rohee expressed confidence that the party would retain the government whenever elections are called, because those who made mistakes have now seen those mistakes, and will correct them in the polling booth.
Also addressing the function was Human Service Minister, Jennifer Webster.