State to fund death anniversary commemorations for all former presidents – Harmon

Commemorative services to mark the death anniversaries of all former presidents will now be state-funded functions.

This is according to Minister of State Joseph Harmon, who was responding to a question as to whether all former presidents who are deceased will have a commemorative service like the one being held for Forbes Burnham today.

The Ministry of the Presidency had issued a public invitation for persons to attend the service to mark the 32nd death anniversary of Burnham today.

Harmon, who was hosting the post-Cabinet press briefing told reporters that former presidents, irrespective of which party they came from, would have served the state and as such their death anniversaries are state activities. “It is the intention of the administration to elevate all of these observances to the level of state functions and so we can expect that,” he said.

“So it is no longer left to a particular party and depending on the resources of the party, the observances of the death anniversary of these persons who served and served Guyana well… the state is taking on this responsibility and this is how it will be in the future,” he said.

The service today for Burnham is at the Place of Heroes, Seven Ponds, Botanical Gardens commencing at 7 am.