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.

Early life and education

Hoyte was born on 9 March 1929 to a middle-class family In 1960 he joined the same law practice as Forbes Burnham (Clarke and Martin), He would come to serve as a legal advisor to the Guyana Trades Union Congress. In 1962, he was appointed a member of the General Council of the People's National Congress.

Politics

After being a general council member for the party, Works and Communications Minister from 1972 to 1974, and Economic Development Minister in 1974 to 1980. In all of his ministerial positions, Hoyte was a part of the movement of the Burnham administration towards a planned economy,

In August 1984, Hoyte became Prime Minister and first Vice President, replacing Hamilton Green, who was widely seen at the time as Burnham's preference for successor. Hoyte became the third President of Guyana.

Immediately after becoming President, Hoyte removed bans on imported food items and opened Guyana to greater international trade. Also in 1987, Hoyte established the Guyana Prize for Literature.

In 1989, Hoyte first proposed a conservation area in the Guyanese rainforest; this proposal would eventually become the Iwokrama Forest.

During his presidency, he would try to improve racial relations between Afro-Guyanese and Indo-Guyanese, being called derisively "Desmond Persaud" for his supposed better treatment of Indo-Guyanese people. overseas voting was used to manipulate the 1968 Guyanese general election.

Following Hoyte's electoral reforms, the 1992 Guyanese general elections were the first free and fair elections since 1964. In the lead-up to the election, Hoyte believed that the PNC could win a free and fair election. Initial returns showed an unmistakable trend in favour of the opposition PPP. When it became apparent that the PPP was on its way to victory, PNC party supporters took to the streets to attack the headquarters of the electoral commission to try to halt the vote count. Hoyte announced that he would resign if this action continued, thus ending the demonstration.

Post-Presidency

Hoyte remained leader of the PNC until his death, and also Minority Leader and Leader of the Opposition.

In 1994, the PNC split, with a new party being founded by Hamilton Green after he was expelled from the PNC for a public disagreement with Hoyte over electoral reforms and party discipline.

Hoyte 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).

In opposition, Hoyte obstructed several initiatives proposed by the ruling party, including constitutional changes and the establishment of a commission on race relations. He also conducted a campaign to overturn the results of the 1997 elections. His tomb is at the Botanical Gardens. After his death a television station had its name amended as a posthumous homage.

Personal life

Hoyte married Joyce Noreen De Freitas in 1965. In 1985, his two daughters Amanda and Maxine died in a car crash while traveling on 30 April 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. Hoyte's wife, Joyce, died on 14 February 2011 aged 77. Hoyte and his family had a residence on North Road, Bourda, Georgetown, which was converted into a museum and library in his honour in 2016.

References

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