Thousands of Guyanese from all walks of life converged on the headquarters of the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) yesterday to pay their respects to former Executive President Hugh Desmond Hoyte who died last week Sunday at his North Road home.
The solemn atmosphere of Congress Place, Sophia was pierced by agonising wails of grief as the hearse bearing the body of Hoyte entered the compound. It was the last time Hoyte would ever enter the compound of the place that was his headquarters.
Today, Hoyte's body will lie in state from around 10 am to midday at the Square of the Revolution. From there it will be taken to Public Buildings for the State Funeral which will get underway at around 1.30 pm. He is to be interred at around 4 pm at Seven Ponds, the Botanical Gardens.
Yesterday was meant to be a celebration of his life where party supporters were able to view the body of their beloved leader, pay glowing tributes and sing songs of praise and heroism.
Members of the main religions in Guyana said prayers and made mention of some of the good deeds that were done by the former president of Guyana.
The hearse left the Merriman's Funeral Home early yesterday morning and a cortege, made up cars, motorcycles and bicycles rode through many streets in the city.
Many persons on the streets were sorely disappointed as they were of the opinion that the cortege would have moved slowly. But with the sirens of the police motorcycles and cars the cortege made light work of driving through the streets and some were overheard asking, "what kind of hurry up thing is this?"
"Where could I go but to the lord?" was the song being rendered by the Yoruba Singers as the hearse turned into the gates of Congress Place and supporters who were there clamoured to get near and some started to wail.
"Desmond! Uncle Desi, how you go do this to we, who go lead we now?" were the anguished words of some supporters as they followed the hearse.
"He was my president." "He did things for me that no one else would or could." "He reached out to the small man as well as the big man, even the littlest child knew how good he was," were some of the words of sorrow uttered by mainly female supporters.
As the hearse arrived near a platform draped with a yellow cloth and with a red chain link barrier around and the gleaming brown-panelled casket was taken out, many in the heat of the moment rushed forward to touch it and had to be restrained by the officials present.
The casket was placed on the platform and opened to revealed the body of the "fallen hero". It was at this point that the situation became almost uncontrollable. Party officials could be heard admonishing supporters to be orderly as "Mr Hoyte was a dignified man and deserves order." Many of the supporters jostled each other to get a glimpse of Hoyte's body as it lay stately in the casket clad in a gray suit completed with a light blue shirt and a figured tie. His hands were encased in white gloves and were on his stomach.
The only wreath that was placed on the casket was the one from his widow Joyce.
Many cried as they got their first glimpse of the body and had to be supported by others.
With the assistance of party officials order was restored and a line starting from as far back as the gate was formed and all those present at the time were given the opportunity to view the body.
Many tributes were then paid and songs were sung in celebration of Hoyte's life. It was just after midday when Mrs Hoyte made her appearance at Congress Place. One of the artistes in the Yoruba Singers band was at the time belting out, `The wind beneath my wings' when her arrival was announced. A moment's silence was then called my the master of ceremony, Hector Stoute for the wife of the late president to have a private viewing of his body.
Interim leader of the party, Chairman Robert Corbin, who was the last person to pay tribute to his fallen leader was called to the podium amidst loud clapping and shouts of appreciation from party members present.
"He has run his race but he has left us a legacy, a legacy which we in the People's National Congress cannot forget. In 1985 when many felt the party had reached its doom with the similar sudden demise of our founder leader, there were many predictions abroad that the party would collapse, that there will be disunity, that there will be fighting and so the cause of the party would be lost. It was this man, Hugh Desmond Hoyte, who demonstrated by example that the work of our founder leader must be carried on and we can truly say in his last rites this afternoon that he did that job very well," Corbin said.
He posited that it was Hoyte who kept Forbes Burnham's party together as he carried the fight from the time he took over the battle. However, he acknowledged that Hoyte has left many challenges for the central executives and members of the party. "We have a duty, we have a task, to carry on that fight, to carry on that struggle," he admonished, adding, "get up, stand up, don't give up the fight!"
Reform member of the party, Jerome Khan in his tribute recalled his first meeting with Hoyte at the Shanklands Resort where they spent a weekend with others including chairman of the Reform component, Stanley Ming, discussing the "Guyana 21 programme".
Describing the arrival of Hoyte during that weekend, Khan said, "there was this man with an old hat, an old shirt-jac, an old crimplene pants and an old black and white running shoes......he came and we spent the weekend." This description brought mirth to the many grieving faces.
Khan said Hoyte and the executives members of the party embraced the reformers' input adding "but Desmond Hoyte was the original reformer, he reformed the political architecture and landscape of this country like no other political leader we have known. But the most radical reform has been the transformation of our national economy and our national life."
Khan contended that from a relationship where the citizen depended on the state for everything, "the original reformer, changed that leading us to think independently. But his singular achievement has to be in the culture of Guyanese, the culture of Guyanese because he taught us as Guyanese to have a sense of independence, to embrace policies and programmes that would truly liberate us and not to believe that the state would always be here to provide for us". The Reform member urged that in the leader's memory they must all reject those who want to incite problems and to divide, "Desmond Hoyte was a healer not a divider." He added that the Reform group has great confidence in the leadership Hoyte left behind.
Vice-Chairman of the party, Vincent Alexander in his remarks said that Hoyte's passing has left before the party his idea of shared governance which he articulated at the last congress.
"Yes, Mr Hoyte has left us a living legacy, a task to complete, hence our celebration. There is much work to be done, the constitutional reform hasn't been completed, the decisions at congress have to be implemented," Alexander said. He noted that Hoyte loved calypso as much as he loved classical music, was a cricket fan as much has he followed boxing and basketball and was both a public and a private person. He said they are all being challenged to walk in Hoyte's footsteps especially at a time when the nation is badly in need of leadership, direction and focus.
General Secretary of the party, Oscar Clarke described Hoyte as teacher who always taught by precept and example. According to him Hoyte exemplified thoroughness of preparation for any task at hand.
"Reliability was his watchword, once he had given his word, rest assure that the deed would be done. He was by nature a very caring individual and showed particular affection to the young and the elderly. He was courageous and firm in his decision- making, always endeavouring to ensure true regularity and fairness", Clarke said.
Parliamentarian and attorney-at-law, Raphael Trotman in his tribute said the task of shepherding the flock of the PNC through unchartered waters as an opposition party was Hoyte's most important role of all. "In this role he neither flinched not faltered. No one can deny that as minority leader and later leader of the opposition, that Mr Hoyle made every effort, despite numerous provocations, distractions and acts of bad faith (to behave) responsibly and acted always in the best interest of Guyana," Trotman contended. He added that it was with great reluctance and after consultations with his colleagues in May of this year that Hoyte took the decision to boycott Parliament in protest at the "failure and or the refusal of the government to honour constitutional, legal and moral obligations and responsibilities." Further, Trotman said that as a parliamentarian, whether on the government or the opposition side of the house, "Mr Hoyte was the epitome of scholastic excellence, every presentation made was thoroughly researched and eloquently delivered...........whenever he spoke in the assembly on any matter there was no movement or sound to be heard as all listened attentively as if he was our master and we were his students."