Desmond Hoyte (1929-2002)
Re- Stabroek News December 30th. 2002
Desmond Hoyte laid to rest
The
wooden casket bearing the earthly remains of Hoyte was lowered into its tomb
even as tributes were being delivered by friends and supporters at the site.
The decision to speed up proceedings was as a result of the convergence around
the burial site of overzealous mourners who broke through barriers erected to
maintain order.
Thousands had from early in the afternoon converged at the Seven Ponds Place
of Heroes in the gardens to witness the final rites which commenced way behind
schedule around 6:45 pm following the cortege's arrival at 6:24 pm. The cortege
was originally to have left Parliament Buildings at 3.30 pm for the gardens.
As with the earlier ceremony at Parliament Buildings, a vociferous crowd obstructed
smooth access by the military contingent which accompanied the body to the burial
site.
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Invited
guests and other dignitaries who had gone to the site to pay homage to the fallen
leader were soon engulfed by the sea of persons many of whom had followed the
body along its path from Parliament Buildings.
The open-back vehicle bearing Hoyte's flag-draped casket was finally driven
to the entrance to the Seven Ponds where top military officers bore the casket
shoulder high to the tomb.
As the casket was being positioned over the hole excavated for burial, the crowd
which had converged near the immediate area, surged forward thereby curtailing
the military pomp and ceremony.
After several unsuccessful pleas by party leaders for the crowds to clear the
immediate burial area, the ceremony commenced with Leader of the Reform component
of the PNC/R, Stanley Ming recalling his association with Hoyte.
However, by the time he had completed his remarks, Hoyte's widow Joyce, requested
that his body be immediately lowered into the ground as the crowd continued
to press closer to the grave's edge.
Continuous pleas to clear the area to allow workmen to complete their task were
ignored forcing the visibly upset widow to leave the ground before the tomb
was sealed.
As onlookers continuously behaved in an undignified manner, she also witnessed
a member of the crowd falling into the hole on top of the casket.
According to Ming, "Hugh Desmond Hoyte was many things to many people"
as he recalled his first meeting with the man who was his friend
On the occasion of their first meeting, Ming said he had been critical of the
administration which Hoyte was part of. It was after a follow up encounter initiated
by Hoyte, at which Ming said he offered suggestions where changes should be
effected and these were followed by Hoyte as president, that he befriended him.
Subsequent invitations by Hoyte for him to join the PNC prior to 1992 were refused
because he felt unsure of being able to make a contribution.
This, he said, however commenced a new dimension in his relationship with Hoyte,
one of personal friendship which he considered very special.
It was this bond which in subsequent years took them to many parts of the world
during which they observed several of the initiatives etched in the Guyana 21
plan, a blueprint for moving the country forward on which the party campaign
at the 2001 general elections was based.
"What nature of man is this" Ming questioned rhetorically, while highlighting
a personal experience in which the two visited the family of the children killed
at the recent race track accident.
He recalled that as they were about to enter the home to meet the children's
parents, Hoyte, tears in his eyes, made the comment that he knew what the family
was going through since he had passed that way himself with the loss of his
two children in an auto accident on April 30, 1985.
According to Ming
it was this side of Hoyte, not visible to many, that proved to him that he was
humble and sensitive.
One of Hoyte's colleagues, Donald Robinson, quoted the last two verses of a
poem by Kemson: "Crossing the bar" to describe the passing of a man
he considered "a statesman, a patriot, lawyer, raconteur, a man of a thousand
virtues, my colleague, my brother, my friend".
Former PNC Chairman and attorney at Law, Winston Murray, in his farewell to
a man he called his chief, dear leader and dear friend, said that Hoyte had
left a legacy of solid achievement.
Persons he said had a duty to honour Hoyte's unfulfilled commitment.
He reminisced on his working relations with Hoyte and on his score sheet of
economic growth, inclusiveness, and while in opposition, avenues of cooperation,
dialogue and a far reaching proposal crafted on the eve of his demise to ensure
equity and justice.
He saw Hoyte's passing as a commute to life on a higher plain. He said he felt
confident that Hoyte would be welcomed into the Kingdom of God to render advice
on the country's further advancement.
Party stalwart, Joan Mabel Baveghens, speaking for the ordinary members said
they remained committed to his ideals and will take comfort in his memory.
Musical renditions by the combined joint services band and poetic recitals also
complimented the tributes as Reverend Eustace Semple performed the last rites.
As this was being done, three trumpeters from the Guyana Defence Force blew
the last post amid a line of military personnel with their swords held aloft.
Shortly afterwards two white doves were released into the night sky in a symbol
of peace to the fallen leader and a 21-gun salute reverberated through the gardens
heralding the end of the proceedings.
Earlier in the day, crude behaviour on the part of many of those who converged
around Public Buildings marred the ceremony in the courtyard.
Around two thousand people gathered from as early as noon, braving the blazing
sun to witness the State Funeral.
However, what were supposed to have been hallowed proceedings were desecrated
by the vulgar behaviour of scores of those who had assembled - an atmosphere
which bore little, if any likeness to the solemnity emanating from within.
Persons lined the streets, fences, hung from trees and even took up positions
on a scaffold in the churchyard of St Andrews to witness the event yesterday.
As they took up their positions, many of those who assembled reflected upon
the life and works of Hoyte while some others were overcome by emotion and others
had sadness reflected upon their faces.
As the procession, moving from the Square of the Revolution, made its way down
Brickdam for the ceremony which was supposed to have begun at 1:30 pm, some
persons began to lament their inability to enter the compound of Parliament
for the ceremony, which was by invitation only, and the security arrangements
which they felt were too restraining. Barricades were erected, and were initially
manned by police officers. By the conclusion of the ceremony however, persons
had breached these obstacles and had congregated on the street outside Parliament,
as police who at one time manned barricades were forced to mingle with the crowd.
They were concentrated between Cornhill Street and Avenue of the Republic.
At 1:10 pm the procession from the Square of the Revolution arrived with Hoyte's
body - it had been preceded by small groups which broke away as the procession
moved along Brickdam.
Many persons rushed around the vehicle carrying the body and attempted to follow
it into the courtyard though the majority were unsuccessful. They did however
succeed in blocking the entrance to the courtyard, preventing the body from
entering. An appeal had to be made by the interim leader of the PNCR, Robert
Corbin, for these persons to remove to allow Hoyte's body to be brought in.
Other persons voiced words of disapproval at the decision to conduct the funeral
at Parliament: "How they could bring he back hey? He didn't even want to
come to this place when he was alive," one man remarked.
As the ceremony progressed, after a delayed start, the crowd became restless
due to the length of the programme and many concentrated their attention on
other activities.
While seemingly calm at times, the huge crowd erupted into a loud cacophony
of voices as President Bharrat Jagdeo delivered his address. In the minority
were those whose solemn countenance gave way to looks of agitation as many persons
mocked the President and hurled insults at him. PPP General Secretary, Donald
Ramotar during his address was treated in similar fashion earlier. There was
little if any challenges to the vulgar chants which accompanied the President's
address, his words were drowned out by the sometimes angry voices.
When the ceremony finally reached its conclusion a short while before 4:30 pm,
the scene outside the Parliament Buildings was confused, the street teeming
with gaggles of persons who were still hoping to catch a glimpse of the body
of the former President.
An appeal was again
made by Corbin, this time for the orderly movement from the Public Buildings
to the Botanical Gardens.
 Members of the Guyana Defence Force under the scrutiny of senior military brass, unhooking the straps on former President Desmond Hoyte's casket prior to its interment at the Seven Ponds, Botanical Gardens last evening. (Lawrence Fanfair photo) |
 A military officer salutes Joyce Hoyte after presenting her with the national flag which had been draped on the casket of her husband, former President Desmond Hoyte prior to interment at the Seven Ponds, Botanical Gardens, last evening. (Lawrence Fanfair photo) |
 The scene outside Parliament Buildings yesterday where several thousand persons from all walks of life gathered to witness the State Funeral for former Executive President Hugh Desmond Hoyte. (Ken Moore photo) |
 Paying homage: Members of the Disci-plined Services with heads bent and swords drawn paying their respects to former Head of State, Hugh Desmond Hoyte as the vehicle bearing his remains made its way to his final resting place at the Seven Ponds, Botanical Gardens, last evening. (Lawrence Fanfair photo) |
