‘Appreciation Day’ for President coming along

– Edghill

A “Day of Appreciation” has been planned for President Bharrat Jagdeo as he prepares to depart office in the next few months.

“This is an initiative of a number of private citizens who talked among themselves about this new phenomenon… of seeing a president leave office while not being rejected by the polls but as a result of constitutional term limits,” organizer of the event Bishop Juan Edghill told Stabroek News of the September 16 event at the Guyana National Stadium.

Edghill, during a brief interview, said he considered Jagdeo’s way of departure as something that must be applauded. “The same person who signed this into law would be the person who will be affected by it… and who has also said he intends to comply with the constitution,” he noted.

“The intent is to simply say look, all of our presidents, the time when Guyana would have said thanks to them is when they are in a coffin or in a casket at their funeral. We believe that people should be able to smell the flowers while they are still alive,” Edghill added.

As a result, he went on, a broad-based national committee was formed, comprising of people from religious, labour, private sector and other groups. These persons will be hosting the activity to show appreciation for the president and the contributions that he would have made as President of Guyana.

Edghill stated that the event is also to assure the President’s place in Guyana’s history as the first person who is leaving office as the result of constitutional term limits and to have this properly recognized by a large cross-section of Guyanese who might not have even voted for him in the first instance.

Among items on the programme are parachute displays by the Guyana Defence Force, Gymkhana stunts from the Guyana Police Force, renditions by the Joint Services’ choir and presentations from several groups.