Georgetown: “I bid you farewell as your President. I thank you for the trust you gave me and for the opportunity to serve you. I leave with a sense of hope for the future of Guyana that makes me believe that our best days have still to come, and with a sense of confidence that the people of this country have what it takes to give full life to the vision of a free, secure, socially just and prosperous Guyana.”
These were the final words of outgoing President Bharrat Jagdeo in his farewell message to the nation today as he shared his outlook for Guyana and expressed the hope that the elections and their aftermath will “pass off peacefully.”
As Guyanese head to the polls on November 28, President Jagdeo said that the free and fair nature of the process will make a profound statement about the strength and maturity of our Guyanese democracy.
“Millions of people across the world are denied the opportunity to take part in free and fair elections – it is just two decades since this right was denied in Guyana. We should never forget that this right is the most sacred foundation of our democracy, and it must be defended and protected on behalf of today’s Guyanese and generations to come,” President Jagdeo said.
President Jagdeo spoke about the Guyana of today as against that of the past, describing it as one where there is less dependence on overseas development assistance, increasing international relations, trade and investment opportunities and interconnectivity with the challenges and opportunities of today’s world.
“The digital revolution; the low carbon industrial revolution; the fast pace of technological advance; the rise of China, India, Brazil and others; a world population of seven billion people seeking food, energy, minerals and metals. These are all transforming how the world will operate for decades to come. We could be frightened by the complexity of this landscape, or we can continue to have the courage to embrace it,” President Jagdeo said.
He said, optimistically that Guyana has the potential to be one of the world’s most progressive and dynamic places, with an IT-savvy population that is connected to the outside world; and with one of the world’s outstanding examples of low carbon development and the world’s second largest forest climate services arrangement.
Guyana’s future, President Jagdeo said, should also be one where the social services protect the vulnerable, maintain a healthy population and ensuring that the next generation of Guyanese will be as well-educated as people anywhere in the world. He also shared his expectations about the media and its functions.
“I hope that we will see a media that fulfils its role by informing debate and holding political leaders and others to account–based on analysis, not untruths and sensationalism. I hope that we will see a blossoming of non-governmental organisations who work to enrich our civic discourse,” President Jagdeo said.
Guyana is no longer subject to external influence over its economy by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and is one of the fastest growing economies in CARICOM and South America despite turmoil in the global economy.
“Our sustained investment in education and health over the years is improving the quality of our people’s lives – and our support for the vulnerable is proving that there is no incompatibility between economic prosperity and compassion for those who need help. More people own their own homes than ever, our diaspora are starting to return home, our private sector is expanding like never before, and the physical infrastructure of the country has been transformed,” President Jagdeo said.
He encouraged Guyanese to take pride from the fact that their country is one of the most diverse countries in the world.
“There are streets in our towns and cities where mosques, temples and churches sit side by side – and around this time of year, we see Guyanese from all faiths and all walks of life coming together for Diwali, for Eid, and then for Christmas,” President Jagdeo said.
Reflecting on the years he served at the helm of Government, President Jagdeo said, “There have been many difficult days within the past 12 years, and there have been many moments when there were tough decisions to take. Those moments can be lonely ones. But at all times, when facing such decisions, I have drawn strength from the people of this country – from their basic sense of decency, their compassion and desire to look out for those less fortunate than themselves, and their willingness to advance our democracy so that the future can be better than the past. It is these timeless values that are the hallmark of our society. And it is these values which sustain my unbowed optimism in the future of this country.”
President Jagdeo elevated to the helm of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration in 1999 from the portfolio as junior Finance Minister to succeed former first lady and first female President Janet Jagan O.E. who resigned from the presidency for health reasons.
He served as the country’s Head of State for 12 years.
