HGP Nightly News – After months of public speculation, political whispers and rumours about his health, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has re-emerged into the public spotlight, making it clear that he was not sick, hiding or stepping away from government work.
Instead, Jagdeo said his reduced public presence was part of a shift from campaign mode to planning mode.
Speaking during a public engagement, the Vice President addressed the speculation directly, saying he was aware that some persons had been spreading claims about his health during his absence from regular public appearances.
“They said I’m sick, I have cancer, all of that,” Jagdeo said, dismissing the rumours.
For about six months, Jagdeo has kept a much lower public profile than many had grown accustomed to, triggering questions about where he was and why he had stepped back from the usual rounds of public and political engagements.
But according to the Vice President, the answer is simple: the elections were over, the campaign had ended, and the work had changed.
Jagdeo said the People’s Progressive Party/Civic had campaigned aggressively and secured a strong seven-seat majority in Parliament. After that, he explained, the focus had to move from campaigning to planning and delivering on the promises made to citizens.
“My role changed from General Secretary of the Party and shifting from campaign to planning,” he said.
He said many people fail to understand that not all work happens in front of cameras, at public meetings or on political platforms. According to Jagdeo, some of the most important work takes place away from the spotlight.
“When you’re not in the public domain, you’re working,” he said.
Jagdeo said the government is now dealing with major national priorities, including the construction of 40,000 homes, addressing community problems, keeping the economy moving and ensuring that Guyana avoids the risks of Dutch disease as oil revenues expand.
He said those responsibilities require planning, coordination and preparation, even if the public does not see that work every day.
Now, after spending months largely outside the glare of constant public engagement, Jagdeo said he is returning to the public domain to focus on implementation.
“I’m back in the public domain, addressing the implementation of some of these issues,” he said.
The Vice President said he allowed the speculation about his absence to continue because he was not personally troubled by it.
“I don’t care too much what they think about me, once the country moves forward and our people get assistance,” Jagdeo said.
He also indicated that his press conferences will return, but with a focus mainly on government business rather than political attacks or campaign-style messaging.
Jagdeo said the elections are finished, and the administration must now concentrate on delivery.
“We have done the campaign, and now we have to deliver on what we promised our people,” he said.
His return marks a shift from the quiet, behind-the-scenes phase he described as planning, to a more visible role in explaining how the government intends to implement its post-election commitments.
