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ADDRESS TO THE NATIONHER EXCELLENCY

JANET JAGAN, 0.E.1PRESIDENT OF GUYANA

Tuesday, December 23, 1997Office of . the President •

Fellow Citizens of Guyana,

I offer you Season's Greetings and my thanks for re-turning our Government to office. We had a verypeaceful elections on December 15, 1997.

With a preliminary count of ballots at the placeof poll on elections day; the results were generallyknown to all parties and elections observers. It wasclear that the PPP/Civic had won a convincing vic-tory. However, the official announcement of the re-sults has been held up due to faulty documentationand other technical and procedural glitches.

I am convinced that these should be thoroughlyinvestigated. Even though the elections were free andfair, we must perfect our electoral machinery by en-suring that future elections are not marred by admin-istrative and personnel problems.

The international observers — specifically theteams from the Commonwealth, the Organisation ofAmerican States (OAS) and the International Foun-dation for Electoral Systems (WES) — have all saidat different times and in different ways that the elec-tions were free and fair.

We must not forget that the International Ob-servers watched the counting of votes at the majorityof Polling Stations. So there cannot be any challengeto the purity of the count.

The head of the Guyanese observer group, theElectoral Assistance Bureau (EAB), (which had over

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one thousand observers spread across the country) hasestablished the transparency of the electoral process.

The business and investment community groupedin the Private Sector Commission (PSC) has pledgedsupport for the strengthening of democracy in Guy-ana.

The local and foreign media, with known ex-ceptions, have hailed December 15 as a victory forGuyana. The Stabroek News, I am pleased to note,has commented favourably on the fact that the demo-cratic will has been asserted through free and fair elec-tions.

But as a result of the difficulties to which I havereferred and the delays in certifying and declaring theresults, numerous valid questions and legitimate con-cerns have been raised. Every party wanted an earlierdeclaration of ihe results, but this did not happen.The political parties which monitored the preliminarycount at the various places have their tally sheets whichclearly established the winner. We knew from our countthat the PPP/Civic had won. Yet the difficulties duringthe process to certify the count was exploited by themajor minority party to raise claims of rigging andfraud, and to stir unrest.. Seditious statements, calcu-lated to incite racism and promote mutiny, have beenissued from some political quarters.

While we recognise avenues for democratic pro-tests in our open society, my attention has been drawnto noisy marches in the commercial sections of

Georgetown which have tended to disrupt businessactivities. Criminal elements have been exploiting theterror campaign to rob and assault peaceful and inno-cent people.

The Security Forces have guaranteed the peaceand they must be commended. We have total confi-dence in the ability and preparedness of our police andsoldiers. I want to convey the nation's appreciationfor the exemplary manner in which they have conductedthemselves and protected our citizens. I ask that theyshould not be intimidated by cowardly threats for do-ing their duty.

My Dear Fellow Guyanese,

This is a time for the national leadership of thiscountry to assess the situation and to act maturely.The resolution of differences and disagreements can-not be achieved in an atmosphere of tension. We needa cooling down of emotions.

We must not let ourselves choke on a heavy doseof political hate. We must see reason and share thehope that there is no problem which cannot be set rightthrough dialogue and tolerance.

I am, and will remain, open to a process ofdialogue. Without this we will achieve nothing exceptto prolong political polarisation in Guyana.

For the sake of the people of Guyana as a whole— and I wish to emphasise now that my remarks are

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-in as Guy-H-

,9, 1997.cy Janet Jagan' OE, was sworn -inHer Excellency

ana's first woman President on Friday, December I

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Georgetown Mayor and GGG Presidential CandidateMr Hamilton Green warmly congratulates new President.

addressed to all Guyanese — we must ensure that ourdifferences are settled by discussion and, above all,with a spirit of reconciliation.

Guyana is in a season which should be the oc-casion for peace and goodwill to all. Let us give allour families the chance to enjoy the Christmas andNew Year they deserve while we work to resolve ourdifferences.

Dear Fellow Guyanese,

We came into this second term with re-newed vigour to continue the good work that has beenstarted. We came with a clear vision to make Guyanainto a shining monument of progress and plenty. Wecame with an open heart to forge greater cooperationand broader alliances to share in the vital task of na-tion-building.

Throughout Guyana there are high expec-tations for greater things to happen, for improvementin living standards and enhancement of the welfare ofall Guyanese everywhere. We will therefore not squan-der the mandate which we legitimately received onDecember 15. As we stretch our hands out in friend-ship to all those who would reach out for them, wewill continue to put our shoulders to the wheel to en-sure that we go back to work to make Guyana a betterplace.

In my inaugural address Friday afternoonat State House, I promised that the government I,will

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lead will be an all-inclusive one that will seek to getmore people involved in the building of our country.

I promised to be a President of all the peo-ple and for all the people. •

I wish to reiterate to the nation that I standcommitted to these principles and promise to do all inmy power to ensure they are observed.

Fellow Guyanese,

Yesterday I made the first set of appoint-ments to the new Cabinet. I am proud to be associatedin this Cabinet with Mr. Samuel Hinds, our Prime Min-ister designate.

I want to take this opportunity to thankhim most profoundly for the service he gave to thiscountry as President.

In Sam Hinds we have an exemplary pa-triot who put nation above self when called to givenational service. His stewardship between March 6thand December 19th did much to keep the nation march-ing forward after his predecessor, President CheddiJagan, died.

I have also announced the appointment ofHead of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger ForbesLuncheon, as Special Advisor on National Security.Five Ministers in key sectors have been confirmed.Shortly, the Cabinet will be complemented with thenumber, strength and talent to allow our Government

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to move full steam ahead to address the many prob-lems that remain unsolved and to bring development to every area of Guyana.

Finally, My fellow Citizens, '

I call on Guyanese everywhere, at home and abroad, in the city and in the countryside, along the rivers and in the hinterlands, to join hands, hearts and minds, to take a deep breath and exhale the ten-sions of the election campaign and its aftermath.

I would like all of us to ensure that we enjoy the Christmas season to the best of our ability and within our means. Let's spend the rest of this year reflecting on what we have achieved together during these past five years.

And let's get ready to start the next five years in January 1998 with the level of national unity, determination, togetherness, and the spirit of give-and-take that will be necessary to ensure that we continue to consolidate on the gains we have made.

I wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

May our country prosper as we work to-gether.

Long Live The People Of Guyana.

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