Stabroek News
April 7, 2001

President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday by letter formally invited PNC REFORM leader, Desmond Hoyte, to meet him on a one-on-one basis to engage in meaningful dialogue without any pre-conditions.

Congress Place officials confirmed that they had heard that the letter was sent to Hoyte's home. Hoyte, Stabroek News understands, took the day off to watch the first day of the Fourth Test match between the West Indies and South Africa now being played in Antigua.

Before the March 19, elections and since the unofficial results showed the PPP/Civic as the winner, President Jadeo had indicated that a meeting with Hoyte would be one of his first priorities. Hoyte, too, indicated the need for dialogue, and in a broadcast set out a list of issues he would like to see addressed in the dialogue process.

He is to address his party's general council today and the discussion on his presentation should help him in formulating a response to the invitation.

Later in the day Hoyte, is to address a PNC/R post election rally at the Square of the Revolution, where he is likely to give some public indication as to what his response to President Jagdeo's letter will be.

President Jagdeo's reappointments of Dr Roger Luncheon as head of the Presidential Secretariat and secretary to the Cabinet has sparked a firestorm of criticism, with the PNC/R and the Guyana Public Service Union picketing the Office of the President this week. The appointment of a career civil servant as head of the Presidential Secretariat was one of the issues Hoyte listed that he wants discussed in the dialogue process. Hoyte had met President Jagdeo in January with the other leaders of the parties at the latter's invitation to discuss post-January 17, governance. The only agreement coming out of that meeting was the postponement of the elections from January 17 to March 19. The postponement was agreed after Elections Commission Chairman, Maj Gen (rtd) Joe Singh had advised that the elections could not be held on January 17, as mandated by the Herdmanston Accord. A sub-committee set up to continue the dialogue failed to achieve anything.