Much credit belongs to Carter 
Since the death of Mr. Desmond Hoyte, there has been unending praise in the press about him being responsible for Guyana's return to democracy in 1992.


As president, Mr. Hoyte certainly worked at restoring some level of decency to Guyanese politics but it should also be remembered that he was an integral part of the Burnham dictatorship that unashamedly rigged elections for over two decades. 


Mr. Hoyte ran as presidential successor to Burnham and "won" an election even though independent observers declared that the process was massively fraudulent.

International monitors deemed the 1985 election: "Crooked as barbed wire". That election heralded Hoyte's extended seven-year presidency.


Then came the Patriotic Coalition for Democracy (PCD) proposals for much needed electoral reforms which Mr. Hoyte rejected outright. International pressure, led by the United States - which was embarrassed to have an illegitimate regime in its "backyard" - resulted in the involvement of the Carter Center. After then, Mr. Hoyte's options were severely limited; he either had to acquiesce to a revamped electoral process or face isolation from the international community and the United States. The PNC's illegal romp in government finished when the cold war ended; the party was no longer a necessary evil to stop the "red threat."


Much of the credit now being given to Hoyte actually belongs to Jimmy Carter. If Hoyte was responsible for Guyana's return to democracy then why was the opposition, led by the PPP, still were campaigning for free and fair elections under his presidency? Why am I still haunted by pictures of a beaten and bloodied nun (Sister Rowtie) which splashed across the front pages of the Stabroek News? What was the purpose of the Georgetown based Guyanese Action for Reform and Democracy (GUARD) movement? Why was there need for such an organization under Hoyte's presidency? I can go on a bit more about a vast number of local democrats who tried in vain to convince Mr. Hoyte to hold an honest election. It was the former US President, Jimmy Carter, who, during an intense closed door meeting with Hoyte, wrested the much-needed electoral reforms from the PNC leader.


Mr. Hoyte's minimal role in returning democracy to Guyana should not take away from his efforts to distance himself from the more injurious of Burnham's strategies. Mr. Hoyte should be credited for his efforts in reducing PNC tyranny and for reversing a few of Burnham's crazier policies. 


History will honour Mr. Hoyte for allowing a breath of fresh air in Guyana after Burnham's odious dictatorship. He will also be admired for his efforts at repairing the Guyanese economy which was wrecked by the party he led. It is a sad irony that Mr. Hoyte's "Kith and kin" succeeded in making his interment at the Seven Ponds a largely "ungovernable" event.

Lutchman Gossai.