Desmond Hoyte

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Desmond Hoyte
3rd President of Guyana
In office 6 August 1985 – 9 October 1992
Prime Minister	Hamilton Green
Vice President	Hamilton Green Mohamed Shahabuddeen Ranji Chandisingh Viola Burnham
Preceded by	Forbes Burnham
Succeeded by	Cheddi Jagan
3rd Prime Minister of Guyana
In office 16 August 1984 – 6 August 1985
President	Forbes Burnham
Preceded by	Ptolemy Reid
Succeeded by	Hamilton Green
Personal details
Born	(1929-03-09)9 March 1929 Georgetown, British Guiana
Died	22 December 2002(2002-12-22) (aged 73) Georgetown, Guyana
Resting place	the Botanical Gardens
Political party	People's National Congress
Spouse(s)

Hugh Desmond Hoyte (9 March 1929 – 22 December 2002) was a Guyanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Guyana from 1984 to 1985 and President of Guyana from 1985 until 1992.

Biography[]

Hoyte was born on 9 March 1929^[1] in Georgetown, which was the capital of British Guiana (as it was then called). He was educated at St Barnabas Anglican School and Progressive High School, then entered public service as a teacher in Guyana and Grenada. While he was working, Hoyte earned an external B.A. from the University of London in 1950. In 1959, he went to the UK to pass his bar exams at the Middle Temple and earn an LL.B.^{[1] [2]} In 1960 he set up private practice and became one of the leaders of the Guyana Bar Association.^[3] He married Joyce De Freitas in 1965.^[4]

He entered Parliament as a member of the People's National Congress in 1968 and soon began serving in the cabinet. He was home affairs minister from 1969 to 1970, finance minister from 1970 to 1972,^[5] works and communications minister from 1972 to 1974, and economic development minister in 1974 to 1980. Hoyte concentrated on economic affairs during his political career. He suffered a personal tragedy in 1985 when his two daughters Amanda and Maxine died in a car crash while traveling on April 30 to hear him deliver the May Day address in the town of Linden. His sister-in-law and his driver also died; his wife Joyce was the lone survivor.^[6]

Following the December 1980 election he became one of five vice-presidents, with responsibility for economic planning, finance, and regional development,^[7] becoming a close associate of the President of Guyana and PNC leader Forbes Burnham.

In August 1984 he was made first vice-president and prime minister. President Burnham died suddenly on 6 August 1985, and Hoyte became President, at a time when Guyana was undergoing prolonged economic and social problems.

Shortly before Burnham's death, he and other members of the PNC had embarked on talks with the opposition People's Progressive Party attempting to achieve a national unity formula to deal with the country's problems. Hoyte announced his willingness to continue the dialogue, but also announced that a general election would be held on 9 December. Responding to criticisms of previous elections as fraudulent, he agreed to certain reforms.^[8] Nonetheless, conduct of the election, which returned the PNC to power with an increased majority, was widely criticised for irregularities, and Hoyte's chances of achieving a national reconciliation were thereby diminished.

In July 1987, he hosted the President of the African National Congress, Oliver Tambo, for a four-day visit, highlighting the close links Guyana maintained with the liberation struggle in Southern Africa.^[9]

Hoyte was also Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1990 until 1992. The October 1992 election was won by the People's Progressive Party, led by Cheddi Jagan; Hoyte conceded defeat.^[10] Hoyte remained leader of the PNC until his death.

He also was the PNC candidate in the presidential elections of 1996 and 2001. He received second place both times (40.6% in 1996 and 41.7% in 2001). The PNC never regained the power that it had under the Burnham administration and his own administration. He died in Georgetown, Guyana on 22 December 2002, aged 73. His tomb is at the Botanical Gardens.^[11]

References[]

External links[]

• Desmond Hoyte 1929–2002
• New York Times: "Desmond Hoyte, 73, Former President of Guyana, Dies"