21-gun salute for President Max

GEORGE MAXWELL RICHARDS will be accorded a 21-gun salute by the Regiment after he is sworn in as the new President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on Monday afternoon.

Richards will be the only person to deliver a speech at his inauguration ceremony on the eastern side of President’s House. All is set for the inauguration which will see Richards sworn in as this country’s fourth President, replacing Arthur NR Robinson who served a six-year term. Yesterday, Government and military officials held the final briefing for the media at President’s House. Captain Cheryl Richardson, one of the main organisers of the event, said the cere-mony will begin at 4.30 pm with the actual swearing in taking place at 5 pm. The whole ceremony, she added, will take no longer than one hour. Capt Richardson said Chief Justice Sat Sharma will administer the oath of office to the new President. President Richards will then be congratulated by outgoing President Robinson, Prime Minister Patrick Manning and the Chief Justice, all of whom will be seated on a specially-constructed stage.

The President’s Colours will then be marched on to the grounds by four soldiers. Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Ancil Antoine will ask President Richards, the new Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, to inspect the parade comprising of two detachments of soldiers. Prayers will be offered by representatives of various religions before the new President delivers his maiden speech. The Regiment will then accord His Excellency  a 21-gun salute before Richards and his wife Jean leave the rostrum for inside President’s House. The Prime Minister and Chief Justice will go into President’s House and offer their personal congratulations to the new President. Richards and his wife will then return to the grounds where they will mingle with 1,000 guests at a reception.

President’s House confirmed yesterday that a wide cross section of the society will be present at the inauguration. These include former Presidents Sir Ellis Clarke and Noor Hassanali, former Chief Justices Cecil Kelsick, Clinton Bernard, and Michael de la Bastide. The only former Prime Minister alive, Basdeo Panday, will not attend. There will be sports personalities, cultural icons, members of the diplomatic corps. Professor Rex Nettleford, Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, has accepted an invitation, as have several top officials of UWI. Caricom Secretary General Edwin Carrington will represent the regional body. It could not be confirmed which Caribbean Prime Ministers and Governors General will be here for the ceremony.

Former Speakers of the House, former Presidents of the Senate, and members of Parliament have also been invited. Security will be tight with traffic police keeping an eye on proceedings around the Queen’s Park Savannah. Assistant Police Commissioner Celestine Richards will be in charge of the police operations. The new Aide-de-Camp for the President has been identified as Lt Commander Hyram Mohammed of the Coast Guard. Mohammed was at President’s House yesterday ensuring that everything was in order for Monday’s ceremony. He replaces Major Anthony Phillip-Spencer who has spent most of the six years as Robinson’s Aide-de-Camp.