Bharrat Jagdeo
Encyclopedia
Bharrat Jagdeo is a Guyanese
politician who has been President of Guyana since 11 August 1999. Prior to his presidency he was Minister of Finance and became President after Janet Jagan
resigned for health reasons; subsequently he won two elections, in 2001 and 2006.
Jagdeo was born in Unity Village
on the East Coast of Demerara
. He joined the youth wing of the People's Progressive Party
(PPP), the Progressive Youth Organisation, when he was 13, and became a member of the PPP itself at age 16. He subsequently rose to local leadership positions in the party.
in Moscow in 1990, Jagdeo returned to Guyana and worked as an economist in the State Planning Secretariat until the PPP/Civic election victory in the October 1992 election. After this he became Special Advisor to the Minister of Finance. On 6 February 2010, the degree of Honorary Doctorate was conferred on to President Jagdeo by the Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University
in Moscow.
Jagdeo was appointed as Junior Minister of Finance in October 1993, and a few weeks later, at the PPP's 24th Congress, he was elected to the party's Central Committee. He later became a member of the Executive Committee of the PPP. In the Cabinet, he was promoted to Senior Minister of Finance in May 1995.
Jagdeo was re-elected for another five-year term on 28 August 2006, with the PPP garnering 54.6 percent of the votes and expanded its majority by two to 36 seats in the 65-member parliament. He was sworn in for another term on 2 September http://english.people.com.cn/200609/04/eng20060904_299232.html
At the PPP's 29th Congress, Jagdeo received the highest number of votes (777) in the election to the party's Central Committee, held on 2 August 2008. He was then elected to the PPP Executive Committee on 12 August 2008.
Crime has risen since Jadgeo's reign, and slow economic growth has plagued the administration.
In 2011 he completed the second of two maximum terms, and as the outgoing president will presumably be stepping down in coming months.
Long an advocate for meaningful reform of international institutions, President was elected as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the IMF and World Bank in September 2005. He occupied this position until September 2006.
One of Jagdeo's first acts on assuming the Presidency of Guyana was to sign into Guyana's constitution a two-term limit for Presidents. He will be the first President to demit office in accordance with this constitutional provision, after the 2011 elections which will take place before the end of the year. On November 26, 2011, Jagdeo made a emotional farewell address ahead of the nation's elections on November 28, 2011. He spoke of accomplishments, such as the economy and defense issues.
In recent years, President Jagdeo has emphasized the need for urgent international action to avert the worst extremes of climate change. Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy sets out a national scale, replicable model to protect Guyana’s 16 million hectare forest, address the 17% of global greenhouse gas emissions that result from deforestation and forest degradation, and re-orient the Guyanese economy onto a long-term “low deforestation, low carbon, climate resilient trajectory”. As part of building this global model, Norway is partnering with Guyana to provide up to US$250 million by 2015 for avoided greenhouse gas emissions from Guyana’s forest. Guyana is using these payments and domestic resources to attract private investment to opportunities in clean energy and new low carbon economic sectors, as well as to make significant public investments in other social and economic priorities. This has been described by CDKN, the UK-based climate policy network as "maybe the most progressive low carbon development strategy in a low income (sic) country."
President Jagdeo was awarded the United Nations “Champion of the Earth” award in 2010. Time Magazine and CNN also named the President as one of their “Heroes of the Environment" in 2008. In early 2010, the Secretary General of the United Nations asked President Jagdeo to serve on the Secretary General’s High Level Advisory Group on Climate Finance.
Jagdeo was a signatory to the The UNASUR Constitutive Treaty of the Union of South American Nations in May 2008. Guyana has ratified the treaty. In November 2009, Jagdeo hosted the Heads of Government of South America in Georgetown, as he took over the one year Pro Tempore Presidency of Unasur.
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Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
politician who has been President of Guyana since 11 August 1999. Prior to his presidency he was Minister of Finance and became President after Janet Jagan
Janet Jagan
Janet Jagan was an American-born socialist politician who was President of Guyana from December 19, 1997, to August 11, 1999. She previously served as Prime Minister of Guyana from March 17, 1997, to December 19, 1997....
resigned for health reasons; subsequently he won two elections, in 2001 and 2006.
Jagdeo was born in Unity Village
Unity Village, Guyana
Unity Village is a rural village in the East Coast district of the Demerara region of Guyana. The village is notable for being the birthplace of both Shivnarine Chanderpaul, former captain of the West Indies cricket team and Bharrat Jagdeo, president of Guyana....
on the East Coast of Demerara
Demerara
Demerara was a region in South America in what is now Guyana that was colonised by the Dutch in 1611. The British invaded and captured the area in 1796...
. He joined the youth wing of the People's Progressive Party
People's Progressive Party (Guyana)
The People's Progressive Party is a political party in Guyana led by Bharrat Jagdeo. The party has been in power since the 1992 elections and currently holds 36 of the 65 seats in the National Assembly.-History:...
(PPP), the Progressive Youth Organisation, when he was 13, and became a member of the PPP itself at age 16. He subsequently rose to local leadership positions in the party.
Education and early career
After obtaining a Master's in Economics from Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship UniversityPeoples' Friendship University of Russia
The Peoples' Friendship University of Russia is an educational and research institution located in the South of Moscow and is ranked by the Ministry of Education of Russia as the country's third-best university after Moscow State University and Saint Petersburg State University...
in Moscow in 1990, Jagdeo returned to Guyana and worked as an economist in the State Planning Secretariat until the PPP/Civic election victory in the October 1992 election. After this he became Special Advisor to the Minister of Finance. On 6 February 2010, the degree of Honorary Doctorate was conferred on to President Jagdeo by the Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University
Peoples' Friendship University of Russia
The Peoples' Friendship University of Russia is an educational and research institution located in the South of Moscow and is ranked by the Ministry of Education of Russia as the country's third-best university after Moscow State University and Saint Petersburg State University...
in Moscow.
Jagdeo was appointed as Junior Minister of Finance in October 1993, and a few weeks later, at the PPP's 24th Congress, he was elected to the party's Central Committee. He later became a member of the Executive Committee of the PPP. In the Cabinet, he was promoted to Senior Minister of Finance in May 1995.
Prime Minister and President
On 8 August 1999, Janet Jagan announced that she was resigning as President for health reasons and that Jagdeo would be her successor. Because the Prime Minister is the President's legal successor, Jagdeo took office as Prime Minister on 9 August so that he would be positioned to succeed Jagan. He was then sworn in as President on 11 August.Jagdeo was re-elected for another five-year term on 28 August 2006, with the PPP garnering 54.6 percent of the votes and expanded its majority by two to 36 seats in the 65-member parliament. He was sworn in for another term on 2 September http://english.people.com.cn/200609/04/eng20060904_299232.html
At the PPP's 29th Congress, Jagdeo received the highest number of votes (777) in the election to the party's Central Committee, held on 2 August 2008. He was then elected to the PPP Executive Committee on 12 August 2008.
Crime has risen since Jadgeo's reign, and slow economic growth has plagued the administration.
In 2011 he completed the second of two maximum terms, and as the outgoing president will presumably be stepping down in coming months.
Initiatives
President Jagdeo’s tenure in office has seen significantly improved access to education, rehabilitation of the health system, far-reaching land reform, the biggest expansion of the housing sector in Guyana’s history, expansion of the water and sanitation systems, and large-scale development of the road, river and air transport networks. In parallel, Guyana’s national debt has been substantially reduced, new public procurement and competition laws have been passed, and reforms to the tax, fiscal and investment regimes were implemented. As of January 2011, Guyana is entering its fifth year of strong economic growth, external debt has been almost halved, and external reserves are almost three times their 2006 level.Long an advocate for meaningful reform of international institutions, President was elected as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the IMF and World Bank in September 2005. He occupied this position until September 2006.
One of Jagdeo's first acts on assuming the Presidency of Guyana was to sign into Guyana's constitution a two-term limit for Presidents. He will be the first President to demit office in accordance with this constitutional provision, after the 2011 elections which will take place before the end of the year. On November 26, 2011, Jagdeo made a emotional farewell address ahead of the nation's elections on November 28, 2011. He spoke of accomplishments, such as the economy and defense issues.
International Honours and Recognition
President Jagdeo has been awarded the Pushkin Medal by the Government of Russia, and the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award by the Government of India.In recent years, President Jagdeo has emphasized the need for urgent international action to avert the worst extremes of climate change. Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy sets out a national scale, replicable model to protect Guyana’s 16 million hectare forest, address the 17% of global greenhouse gas emissions that result from deforestation and forest degradation, and re-orient the Guyanese economy onto a long-term “low deforestation, low carbon, climate resilient trajectory”. As part of building this global model, Norway is partnering with Guyana to provide up to US$250 million by 2015 for avoided greenhouse gas emissions from Guyana’s forest. Guyana is using these payments and domestic resources to attract private investment to opportunities in clean energy and new low carbon economic sectors, as well as to make significant public investments in other social and economic priorities. This has been described by CDKN, the UK-based climate policy network as "maybe the most progressive low carbon development strategy in a low income (sic) country."
President Jagdeo was awarded the United Nations “Champion of the Earth” award in 2010. Time Magazine and CNN also named the President as one of their “Heroes of the Environment" in 2008. In early 2010, the Secretary General of the United Nations asked President Jagdeo to serve on the Secretary General’s High Level Advisory Group on Climate Finance.
Jagdeo was a signatory to the The UNASUR Constitutive Treaty of the Union of South American Nations in May 2008. Guyana has ratified the treaty. In November 2009, Jagdeo hosted the Heads of Government of South America in Georgetown, as he took over the one year Pro Tempore Presidency of Unasur.
External links
- Jagdeo hails smooth voting process - news story which refers to Jagdeo as the "outgoing president"
- Office of the President of Guyana
- Address by H.E. President Bharrat Jagdeo to the General Debate of the 66th session of the United Nations General AssemblyUnited Nations General AssemblyFor two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
, 21 September 2011
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