Former President’s Bill …Unlimited benefits can be legally challenged – Ramotar

By Kiana Wilburg The Former Presidents (Benefits and Facilities) Bill was passed in 2009 despite objections by the parliamentary

President Donald Ramotar

opposition. Because of some uncapped benefits former President Bharrat Jagdeo is now enjoying what the Parliamentary Opposition and critics have been describing as “excessive benefits” that are of “unprecedented and unacceptable” levels. Former Finance Minister, Carl Greenidge, of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), the largest Opposition faction in the National Assembly, had moved to modify the laws to cap those benefits. However, it has been two years now since the National Assembly passed the motion. Ramotar said during a press conference at State House yesterday, that he has not even seen the motion. Asked if he would sign it, the Head of State said that he would need time to think about it. “I haven’t seen any bill like that. I think it’s a question of principle too… I think anything like that can be challenged constitutionally. I believe so and I can probably confirm that with legal opinion. I will need more legal advice on that.” The Opposition had said that the uncapped benefits enjoyed by Jagdeo are worrying and limits must be set for future former presidents. His monthly average electricity bill alone, since he left office in November 2011, at $375,000, far exceeds most Parliamentarians’ monthly salary. Greenidge had said that the former President received a pension totaling $37.2M up to the end of last month. This is in addition to the recently disclosed figures in the National Assembly of upwards of $45M which the taxpayers have had to spend on his electricity bills, transportation and security between December 2011 and last February. “If Jagdeo retired without children and tomorrow decides to adopt 50 children and he wants to take all of them to the USA to seek medical attention, the taxpayer has to pay. If he wants an Olympic-size swimming pool that uses a further US$1M for electricity we have to pay for it. The benefits need to be capped. “Neither former US Presidents nor the former T&T President enjoy anything like this. The magnitude of these benefits bear no relation to any paid to NIS pensioners or to public servants,” the APNU official argued. He said that it is something that Jagdeo specifically designed for himself and “his PPP cronies who will succeed him voted for it.”