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Capacity crowd defies rains for Presidential Inauguration
By Desilon Daniels
When Guyanese woke up on Independence Day, many were disheartened to see the overcast, gloomy sky that met them; the day was meant to be one for celebration and, more importantly, one for the inauguration of
Scenes from the inauguration at Guyana National Stadium, yesterday
Guyana’s new leader, President David Granger.
However, Guyanese are not known to be easily deterred; nothing, they said, especially a bit of rain would keep them from witnessing such a historic occasion. For many, being able to participate in such an event could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
So, with umbrellas in hand – and in some cases rain boots on feet – they packed into their vehicles and headed to the National Stadium to witness the inauguration ceremony.
It was hard to believe that many Guyanese could be in such a good mood even after waiting for hours in traffic on the East Bank of Demerara. In fact, only bright, smiling faces could be seen among the thousands who converged at the National Stadium at Providence.
Equally bright were the colours worn yesterday by patrons; though a spectrum of colours were seen, the most popular were clearly red, black, gold, green and white, the colours of the Golden Arrowhead.
Many of those who weren’t openly going for colours from Guyana’s flag, sported outfits created from the APNU+AFC flag, while others went so far as to dye their hair in multiple colours.
Though the focus was largely on the new president, David Granger, it was still a day for all Guyanese and people of all races were seen in the packed stadium, standing shoulder to shoulder as they sheltered under umbrellas together.
Though the official inauguration ceremony had been slated to begin at 5:00pm, countless persons had turned out hours before to patiently await the arrival of the President.
Fortunately, President Granger’s arrival was a timely one and the inauguration programme got underway promptly.
Those who defied Mother Nature were not disappointed, even with the intermittent showers, and the cultural performers were clearly cognizant of the great responsibility they had in delivering a stellar show; whether they were singing or dancing, the performers gave it everything they had; they sashayed their hips, stamped their feet energetically, and grinned broadly to the cheering crowd.
Particularly vibrant were the 550 dancers who were a part of a display by the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport of the Ministry of Education. In flamboyantly coloured outfits, they made their way on to the field to perform a vigorous piece which focused largely on unity in Guyana and the importance of working together. The hundreds of dancers ranged from nursery school right up to adulthood.
Even with the rain drizzling, they smiled brightly and the crowd reciprocated with bellowing roars of approval.
Though other items, including the military bands display, received tumultuous applause, no item was more appreciated than the address given by His Excellency, Brigadier David Granger.
Before he spoke, President Granger was officially inaugurated by the First People of Guyana. He stoically stood on an erected podium as three dancers circled around him, a small smile playing on the corner of his lips. The smile grew when he was officially inaugurated.
In his remarks, President Granger spoke at length on the importance of a unified Guyana and rebuilding a proud nation. Though for the most part a hush fell over the audience as the president spoke, joy was evident on the faces of countless persons. There was little movement as he spoke save for the swaying Golden Arrowheads perched around the stadium.
The attention shifted only briefly from President Granger when the fireworks began; with eyes glued to the sky, Guyanese “oohed” and “ahhed” as the bright colours exploded into view.
Even President Granger seem captivated as he hoisted his young granddaughter in his arms and smiled along with her as she marveled at the beauty of it all.
Beside him stood his wife, Sandra, who whispered and smiled proudly with her other grandchildren.
As the events came to an end, it was clear that the day had been a successful one.
“It is time!” persons called out to one another as President Granger hopped into his vehicle and prepared to leave. And though no one could specifically say what it was time for, there seemed to be a general understanding that a new beginning was underway.
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