Bharrat Jagdeo

Infobox President
name = Bharrat Jagdeo


order = President of Guyana
primeminister = Sam Hinds
term_start = 11 August 1999
term_end =
predecessor = Janet Jagan
successor =
order2 = Prime Minister of Guyana
president2 = Janet Jagan
term_start2 = 09 August 1999
term_end2 = 11 August 1999
predecessor2 = Sam Hinds
successor2 = Sam Hinds
birth_date = birth date and age|1964|01|23|df=y
birth_place = Unity Village, East Coast Demerara, Guyana
spouse = Varshni Jagdeo (divorced)
party = PPP
religion = Hindu

Bharrat Jagdeo (born 23 January 1964) has been the President of Guyana since 11 August 1999. He had previously been Minister of Finance [http://www.gina.gov.gy/booklets/cabinet.pdf "Meet the New Cabinet Members"] , GINA.] and became President after Janet Jagan resigned for health reasons; he has since won two elections, in 2001 and 2006. He is the youngest head of state of the Caricom countries. He is of Indian descent.

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.

After obtaining a Master's in Economics from Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship 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.

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.

On August 8 1999, Janet Jagan announced that she was resigning as President for health reasons and that Jagdeo would be her successor. ["Guyanese president resigns for health reasons", Associated Press (nl.newsbank.com), August 9, 1999.] Because the Prime Minister is the President's legal successor, Jagdeo took office as Prime Minister on August 9 so that he would be positioned to succeed Jagan. ["Jagan's heir sworn in as prime minister in Guyana", Associated Press (nl.newsbank.com), August 9, 1999.] He was then sworn in as President on August 11. ["Guyana's new president urges racial tolerance", Associated Press (nl.newsbank.com), August 12, 1999.]

Charges of crime, corruption, incompetence, mismanagement and nepotism have been made against Jagdeo's administration, as they have against all former Guyanese administrations. In March 2001, Bharrat Jagdeo won a second term in an election that underscored Guyana's bitter racial tensions. The re-election of Jagdeo, a member of the Indo-Guyanese majority, caused rioting among the minority Afro-Guyanese, who claimed widespread election fraud.

Jagdeo was re-elected for another five-year term on August 28, 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 September 2. It should be noted that the 2006 election, unlike previous elections, was peaceful and deemed free and fair by foreign observers. Although there were some administrative issues, the peaceful nature of the election was a major milestone for the country. [http://english.people.com.cn/200609/01/eng20060901_298769.html] [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, [http://www.ppp-civic.org/releases/The%20People%20Progressive%20Party%20PPP%20at%20its%2029%20th%20Congress.html Press release on Central Committee election] , August 3, 2008.] [http://www.guyanatimesgy.com/news/news/84-news/412-donald-ramotar-re-elected-general-secretary-of-ppp.html "Donald Ramotar re-elected General Secretary of PPP"] , "Guyana Times", August 13, 2008.] held on August 2 2008. He was then elected to the PPP Executive Committee [http://www.ppp-civic.org/releases/PPP%20GENERAL%20SECRETARY%20EXECUTIVE%20COMMITTEE%20ELECTED.html "PPP GENERAL SECRETARY, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ELECTED"] , PPP press statement, August 12, 2008.] on August 12 2008.

References

External links

* [http://www.op.gov.gy/ Office of the President of Guyana]