Late President Janet Jagan remembered
Georgetown GINA, October 20, 2012 -- Source - GINA
The Bel Air home of the late Presidents Cheddi and Janet Jagan was the venue for an evening of reflections on the life of Janet Jagan, the fifth Executive President of Guyana.
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee who gave the feature address during the event examined the reasons why the late President was criticized by some who looked on her as being a white American Jew.
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee addressing
the gathering at the Bel Air home of the late former
President Janet Jagan
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, he lamented the fact that like them, she had contributed so much to Guyana before and after independence and was still not appreciated by some. He emphasised that Mrs. Jagan stuck it out both because of her husband and her own personal convictions.
A section of the gathering at the event reflecting on
the life of former president Mrs Janet Jagan
Minister Rohee stated that Mrs Jagan was under much 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 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.”
The Minister also made the observation that as Presidential Candidate in the 1997 elections, Mrs. Jagan won more votes than her husband and increased the percentage of the votes won by the PPP.
He outlined the subsequent harassment of Mrs. Jagan with persons event taking obeah and voodooism into the streets and stoning her vehicle as she left Parliament after her address to the National Assembly.
Minister Rohee marvelled at the fact that at her advanced age, Janet Jagan again took up the mantle of leadership as President of Guyana.
It was the history and traditions 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 Carribean has achieved this kind of distinction in governance, Minister Rohee expressed confidence that the party would retain the government whenever elections are called because those who made mistakes have now seen them and will correct them in the polling booth.
Also addressing the function was Minister of Human Service Jennifer Webster.
Prior to the event, there was a health fair that provided a range of services such and a blood drive.
