— says Greenidge at former President’s 16th death anniversary

FORMER President Hugh Desmond Hoyte faced a number of challenges and crises during his tenure as Head of State but in handling those he committed and surmounted in his cause even if it damaged his party and electoral prospects.

This is accordingly to Carl Greenidge, Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs who shared a friendship and worked under the former President.

Greenidge was at the time giving remarks on Saturday at a ceremony to commemorate the 16th death anniversary of Guyana’s second Executive President Hugh Desmond Hoyte SC, held at the Place of Heroes in the Botanical Gardens.

Underscoring that the former President placed national interest above his own and those of his political colleagues, the foreign affairs minister said Hoyte was realistic in his expectation and understood that change is inevitable.

“Desmond Hoyte had an obsession with working within a framework of the rule of law, and the rule of law is very important. Lawyers would recognise its importance, because the rule of law ensures that contracts can be undertaken, one of the things we see today in Guyana is that there is a degree of lawlessness that makes it very difficult both for governments and for those who drive in the streets,” Minister Greenidge noted.

He said Hoyte spent a lot of time ensuring that laws were enforced since he was regarded highly within the local and international community of legal luminaries.

“Freedom of expression was also an area he guarded as an important pillar in ensuring that the market works, because if you were going to reform and move from the pillars of a socialist economy which is where we were, you had to also ensure that individual action and choice could be properly exercised in making economic and related decisions,” Greenidge said.

Greenidge also said that Hoyte’s contributions also made the Economic Recovery Programme during his tenure a success.

“He was exceptionally gifted, very private, very much preoccupied and interested in young people,” the foreign minister said.

The observance saw the attendance of several senior government officials, including the Ministers of Communities, Public Health, Social Cohesion, Social Protection, Housing and Legal Affairs, among others.

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence in her contribution described the late President Hoyte as a patriot who lived for the people and the country.

Hugh Desmond Hoyte, SC was born on March 9, 1929 and served Guyana in several capacities including Home Affairs Minister from 1969 to 1970, Finance Minister from 1970 to 1972, Economic Development Minister in 1974 to 1980, Prime Minister from 1984 to 1985 and President of Guyana from 1985 until 1992.

He died on December 22, 2002.

The former President, and Senior Counsel, was husband to the late Joyce Hoyte and father to the late Amanda and Maxine Hoyte who both died tragically, after their vehicle crashed into a tractor trailer, on route to the town of Linden.

During his time in office, the late President had responsibility for African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) affairs under the Lomé Convention and was the ACP spokesman on sugar for 1981 to 1983.

As a member of the Heads of Government of CARICOM Conference he was charged with promoting freedom of movement within the Community and for coordinating CARICOM’S policy on the environment for the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992. He was also nominated CARICOM’s spokesman on sugar.