Dear Editor,
I stand by my statement in 2015 regarding the 2009 Former Presidents’ Benefits Act that politics in Guyana has become a gravy train. The move by the Irfaan Ali/Bharrat Jagdeo regime to repeal the 2015 Former Presidents’ Benefits Act so they can return to unlimited benefits after leaving office is vulgar and unconscionable. It is riding on the backs of workers and ordinary people and should be withdrawn.
The decision by the President’s administration to reverse the legislation that capped former presidents’ benefits should not be taken lightly. It is even more offensive when viewed against the reality that Guyana is today one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, yet two-thirds of our people remain poor and more than one-third live in absolute poverty.
Let me make this very clear: the right to a pension is respected and is not the issue. Anyone who has served in the presidency is entitled to a pension. That is not what is offensive here.
What remains offensive is the manner in which these leaders are ensuring that their post-presidency is as good as, or even better than, their actual tenure in office, and doing so at the expense of the taxpaying public. The issue is not dignity after office. It is excess. It is entitlement. It is using public office to secure benefits that ordinary citizens can only dream about.
Lest we forget, former presidents already enjoy substantial pensions. Least we also forget, they do not pay taxes on their incomes while workers do. The teacher pays taxes. The nurse pays taxes. The public servant pays taxes. The sugar worker pays taxes. The bauxite worker pays taxes. The ordinary people who create the wealth of this nation are taxed every month, yet they are being asked to fund unlimited benefits for a privileged political class. This is not good governance; it is an abuse of public trust.
When you enter office, it is public service. You are there to serve the people, not to enrich yourself on public funds. If you leave office and wish to engage in business, consultancy, speaking engagements or any other venture to earn an income, that is entirely your right. What is unacceptable is using the office entrusted to you by the people to guarantee yourself a lifetime of luxury funded by those same people.
The workers of this nation have been asking for a livable wage for years. The trade union movement has repeatedly called for the removal of income tax on workers and the creation of a genuine welfare state with social programmes designed to lift people out of poverty.
Guyana has been producing oil for seven years. We boast about producing one million barrels of oil per day. We have a population of approximately 800,000 people, yet workers still cannot secure a decent wage. A caring government would focus on those priorities rather than calculating how those who occupy the presidency can continue to live comfortably at public expense long after they have demitted office.
What we are witnessing is an attempt to create a Cadillac lifestyle on the backs of people who continue to live in what Cheddi Jagan described as a donkey-cart economy. While Guyana’s economic statistics may have changed, the reality confronting many citizens has not.
Too many people still live hand to mouth. Many cannot afford basic necessities. Some cannot afford a tennis roll and can only eat if given credit. Some cannot afford a loaf of bread and must purchase a few slices at a time. In the midst of this reality, President Ali is telling the nation that former presidents should enjoy unlimited benefits after leaving office. What message does that send?
It says that while ordinary citizens struggle, those occupying the highest offices are ensuring their own comfort and security. It says that while healthcare remains inadequate for many Guyanese, former presidents must enjoy unlimited medical benefits and access to the best health care system in the world. It says that while citizens struggle to pay utility bills, former presidents must have theirs paid indefinitely by taxpayers. It says that after leaving office, you are entitled to maintain a parallel presidency, complete with unlimited staff, vehicles, benefits and privileges funded by the public purse.
Our leaders are failing us. And that brings me to the Opposition.
The opposition continues to prevaricate on the issue of unity. They continue to find reasons why they cannot come together. Let me remind them that every one of them, whether we voted for them or not, is being paid by all of us. Our taxes are not separated according to political affiliation.
The Constitution, in Article 13, speaks to “inclusionary democracy.” That principle must undergird the quest for unity. That is what the opposition should be fighting for. They should be demanding its implementation and advancing legislation that gives real effect to it.
Come around the table. Come with your ideas, respecting our diversity and uniqueness. Negotiate. Resolve your differences. Determine how you will work together to represent the interests of your constituents while respecting the rights and well-being of others. Politics is about people and people’s development.
When government refuses to engage sections of civil society or govern in the interest of all, the opposition has a duty to mobilise, advocate and represent the people. Instead, too many seem content to enjoy the privileges of office while believing that is sufficient. It is not. You were elected to serve the people, not to feather your nest or advance your self-interest at their expense.
If we continue on this path of division, finding reasons not to unite around common principles and disregarding the oath to serve the people, the one million barrels of oil we pump every day will benefit everyone except the ordinary people of this country. We will not even receive the crumbs.
As Guyanese, we need to get our act together. This nation is being plundered before our eyes while elected representatives prevaricate over who should lead, who should be elevated and who should be attacked. The voters have already spoken. They entrusted you with their power and expect representation in return. You have a duty to discharge that responsibility and you must do so.