International Conference Centre to be renamed in honour of first President

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Former President Arthur Chung
Former President Arthur Chung

The Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) will be renamed the “Arthur Chung Convention Centre”.

Guyana’s newly-elected Eighth Executive President, retired Brigadier David Granger announced this on Wednesday during a conference with the Permanent Secretaries and Heads of State Agencies at the GICC, Liliendaal Greater Georgetown.

Guyana’s First President Arthur Chung, who served from 1970 to 1980, does not have any significant monument or historic landmark named in his honour in the country he determinedly served.

According to Granger, persons of various countries all over the world, particularly the United States of America, remember and honour their first Presidents but the trend seems to be lacking in Guyana.

“Sometimes we tend to forget who our first President was … I would like the first President in this country to be remembered,” he stated.

Granger explained that Arthur Chung was the first person of Chinese descent to govern a non-Asian country and therefore renaming the GICC in his honour would be the least this country can do to pay tribute.

“I do this because this is the 45th anniversary year of becoming a Republic and Mr Chung was the first person of Chinese descent who was President in a non-Asian country and it was historic…,” he noted.

Chung was born at Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara.

When Guyana became a republic in 1970, Chung made world history when the National Assembly elected him as the country’s first President. He took office on March 17.

Ten years later, a constitutional revision transformed the presidency into an executive position and Forbes Burnham succeeded Chung as President on October 6, 1980.

On June 23, 2008, Chung died at his home.

His body was subsequently laid to rest at the Seven Ponds.

The GICC, which was funded by a grant provided by the Government of the People’s Republic of China, was constructed at a cost of approximately US$8 million. It has a main conference hall with a seating capacity of 372, five smaller conference rooms, a business centre and a restaurant.

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