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Attacking Jagdeo’s pension is a racist act – Rohee

Mar 03, 2015 News

Instead of carping at nauseam on the Former President’s Pension and other entitlements, said People’s Progressive Party, Clement Rohee, Leader of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) David Granger needs to explain his challenge to the president’s pension.
Granger must also justify his decision to foist on taxpayers three Vice Presidents should his entity happen to win power by some miraculous act, Rohee said.
He said this yesterday at his Party’s weekly press conference, comparing the former President’s Pensions Bill which affords uncapped benefits to the holder to the fact that Granger promises to have three Vice Presidents in his Cabinet.
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), recently joined forces and now go by APNU-AFC. The coalition, which is heading to the polls with Granger as its Presidential candidate, has proposed to have three Vice Presidents once voted into administrative office.
Rohee is saying that it would be an unnecessary strain on taxpayers to have three Vice-Presidents.
The General Secretary described the fuss APNU made over the uncapped benefits of former Presidents as hypocritical. He questioned, “If he (Granger) is so concerned about the impact on the public purse on the former President’s pension and other benefits, wouldn’t the appointment of three additional Vice Presidents not put additional pressure on the country’s finances which he, Mr. Granger, seemingly cares about?”
Even though it is the Former Presidents’ Benefits Bill which allows such a provision and Former President Bharrat Jagdeo has so far been the only one to benefit, Rohee questioned, “Is there a racist twist to the pension in which it is acceptable for some to get the same statutory benefits, but not our former President Bharrat Jagdeo?”
He said that every president enjoyed similar benefits but declined to state the quantum of benefits that the past presidents received. Jagdeo is receiving seven-eighths of the salary of a president and other uncapped benefits.
Parliament voted to modify the Pensions Act but President Donald Ramotar has refused to assent to the Bill.
Rohee told the media that Granger is being conveniently selective on issues and is deliberately withholding important information from his constituents “which could serve to incriminate him and his Party and in the process, do further damages to his electoral ambitions.”
Rohee said that the “amnesia of Granger and his acolytes are at best mind boggling and raises some serious questions regarding the suitability of Granger and his political entity to be entrusted with the task of administering the business of government.”
He declared that Guyanese electorate will see beyond the opposition’s “veil of secrecy and silence and return the PPP/C to government with an overwhelming majority come May 11”.

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