Hoyte remembered as a transformative figure in Guyana’s history

Mar 27, 2011 News

The Late Hugh Desmond Hoyte

The late Hugh Desmond Hoyte was remembered as a transformational figure in Guyana’s history, according to Major General (rtd) Joe Singh who was the key speaker at the fourth annual memorial lecture.
The event was held on Wednesday at the Pegasus hotel. It was well attended by politicians and civil society.
Major General Singh, who was requested by the Late President’s now deceased wife, singled out six decisions that Hoyte made which he said can be seen as pivotal in the transformational history of Guyana.
The decisions he itemized were: Undertaking the Georgetown to Lethem Overland Safari in 1973; instituting the Guyana Prize for Literature in1987; Launching the Economic Recovery Programme in 1989; Committing to the Iwokrama Rainforest Project also in1989; Facilitating the Free & Fair Elections in 1992 and Ensuring the Peaceful Transfer of Power in 1992.
According to Major General Singh leaders are elected or appointed to make decisions that can have short term or longer term impacts on the country and on its citizens.
He posited that on the one hand, there are leaders who are myopic, who tend to look at what short term political gains such decisions can produce and invariably, such decisions do not address systemic issues, which will continue to fester.
“On the other hand, leaders who are visionary tend to make decisions which they consider to be in the longer term interests, even if they may cause short term pain. But there are also some decisions which are thrust upon leaders…Does history make the man or does the man make history?”
He said that the failure by leaders to act decisively can cause short term as well as long term pain.
“Decisions that are transformational bring about thorough or dramatic change…In such cases, leaders have to be bold and pragmatic…They have to be prepared ‘to bite the bullet’ and incur the criticisms of both their detractors and their own supporters.”
He said that such bold display of pragmatism relies on the leader’s own sense of values and knowledge of the possible consequences of both indecision as well as the decision, on the interests of human beings.
“Desmond Hoyte’s strategic vision and the decisions he influenced in making a reality of the establishment of this road link from the Coast to Lethem, and in personally identifying with this project through his stewardship of the Ministry of Works and Communications and his leadership of the Safari, are part of our history.”
He said that the decision by Hoyte laid the foundation for the developments currently taking place in south-western Guyana, through bilateral cooperation between the two governments and implementation of Agreements by public and private sector agencies.
Major General Singh told the gathering that the establishment of Guyana Prize for Literature was visionary and transformational.
He said that it was the instrument for giving deserving recognition of the role of writers and poets.
It was announced on February 23, 1987 and is the most prestigious literary award in the English-speaking Caribbean.
Speaking to the Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) the Major General said that it was transformational in that it sought to break radically with the past and re-position Guyana’s economic recovery and growth.
“In fact, in 1983, the writing was already ‘on the wall’ as far as the economy was concerned.”
Singh said that the focus of the ERP launched in 1989, was macro-economic reform and in particular: sourcing external financing, exchange rate devaluation, price deregulation, privatisation, and public sector wage control.
He said that towards the end of 1990, the then President Hoyte introduced the cambios where foreign exchange could finally be purchased legally.
Prior to that, foreign exchange had to be bought on the black market.
“Hoyte was also pragmatic enough to realize that the ERP had to go hand in hand with other freedoms…No longer could he remain arrogant, stubborn and unmoved by the agitation of opposition parties, and civil society- including the churches, for freedom of expression and freedom from fear…He permitted the importation of newsprint and the establishment of a private newspaper— Stabroek News.”
According to Major General Singh, “These should be seen as incremental gains, engineered as a result of pragmatic review of the inhibiting factors to governance, prudent financial management, and national development, as well as to enhance the credibility of a government striving to come to terms with the past and preparing to chart a new beginning into the future.”
On the issue of the establishment of Iwokrama, Singh said the decision in 1989, was visionary. “He offered to the World, on behalf of the people of Guyana, the Iwokrama Rainforest Reserve, 371,000 hectares or two per cent of Guyana’s forests.”
Hoyte at that time said, “Iwokrama is a place for research to develop, demonstrate, and make available to Guyana and the International Community systems, methods, and techniques for the sustainable management and utilization of the multiple resources of the tropical forest and the conservation of biodiversity.”
According to Singh that decision set in place the strategy for sustainable development, to show how tropical forests can be conserved and sustainably used for ecological, social and economic benefits to local, national and international communities.

Major General Retired Joe Singh

“The evolution of the Low Carbon Development Strategy is a creative application of the economic value of standing forest to garner substantial funding that would be used to finance alternative energy pathways, to reduce Guyana’s dependence on fossil fuels, to create opportunities through job-related training and utilization of information technology, for providing employment in enterprises that have a low carbon profile and footprint.”
Singh also addressed the 1992 election which was free and fair.
“This decision cost him his Presidency but it was a pragmatic and transformational decision that would be the benchmark for ensuring the credibility of the electoral process…It was transformational in that it provided opportunities for embedding democratic principles and practices in the governance of the State and its Institutions.”
Singh said that while credit must be given to the sustained advocacy role played by a groundswell of alliances among the political opposition, civil society and overseas supporters, it was President Hoyte who committed to a process that would be subject to local and international scrutiny, that would remove the Guyana Defence Force from any role in guarding polling stations or in escorting ballot boxes.
He said that it was the commencement of a process to ensure that Guyana’s Elections would be conducted in a transparent manner and that the process will respect the election results as the will of the people.