Ambassador Hardt Hosts Inauguration Luncheon

January 21, 2013 | Georgetown

Ambassador Hardt addresses the gathering

U.S. Ambassador to Guyana D. Brent Hardt welcomed guests from Guyana's government, private sector, civil society, and diplomatic community to share in the historic, second Inauguration of President Barack Obama.

As he welcomed guests to the viewing of President Obama's Inaugural Address at his residence, Ambassador Hardt observed that "the inauguration of a president after a hard-fought electoral contest reflects the strength and health of a democracy." The U.S. Presidential Inauguration, he added, "embodies a strong bipartisan tradition, as even the most heated partisan political debates are set aside to honor the peaceful transition of power."

While noting that the United States has always faced intense political rivalries and often sharp disagreements, the Ambassador pointed out that "what is more striking than the strength and persistence of division, has been the remarkable ability of our country's leaders to transcend their fears and forge compromises in the national interest." The inauguration of a president traditionally offers American presidents an opportunity to "reach out across those differences and identify the national interests that supersede the partisan."

Prime Minister Hinds, Foreign Minister Rodrigues-Birkett, other ministers of government, representatives from Guyana's parliament and political parties, and the private sector joined the celebration. Prime Minister Hinds congratulated President Obama on his inauguration for a second term, and affirmed the Government and people of Guyana's desire to continue building closer ties to the United States.

Participants enjoyed lunch while watching live broadcast footage from the President's Inauguration Ceremony in Washington, D.C. President Obama's oath of office marked the 57th time that a U.S. president has been sworn in for a four-year term since 1789, when George Washington first took the same oath. The theme of the January 21, 2013, ceremony in Washington was "Faith in America's Future," which commemorates the United States' spirit of perseverance and unity.

Barack Obama, the first African-American President, took the public oath of office for his second term on the national holiday devoted to the civil rights visionary Dr. Martin Luther King. Ambassador Hardt noted, "the intersection of President Obama's inauguration and Reverend King's holiday carries sweet symbolism" because when President Obama stood at the Capitol, he faced the Lincoln Monument, where Dr. King stood half a century ago "to call his fellow Americans to share in his dream of a nation living up to its founding creed of equality." The Ambassador observed that "this symbolism represents another milestone in our 236 year history of seeking a more perfect union."

In his inaugural address, President Obama America assured Americans that the United States "will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe." Outlining his vision for U.S. engagement with the world, he concluded: "We will support democracy from Asia to Africa, from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice - not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity, human dignity, and justice."