Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Sep 19, 2010 News
“It was quite distressing to see some of those present applauding the President’s outburst, perhaps demonstrating the extent to which they were intimidated and not prepared to rock the boat” — WPA
Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo during the forum on Thursday last at the National Cultural Centre, restricted Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram from speaking when the opportunity for policyholders to ask questions was presented.
The manner in which the President restricted Ram who is a policy holder at CLICO (Guyana) has since been criticised.
The President, following his presentation on CLICO (Guyana) and how policy holders would be paid, opened the floor for policyholders to ask questions and to seek further clarifications on the impending pay out.
When Ram approached the microphone President Jagdeo immediately stopped him. “Not at my meeting. Go outside and write in all of the papers and continue with your negative…you can write about that too…I am just fed up with all of these sour people around the country, just fed up with them.”
Ram has since told media operatives that he merely wanted to query the legality of the payout given that liquidation laws provide a specific process.
He said, too, that he wanted to find out about the implications of the money that the National Insurance Scheme couldn’t access or benefit from interest given that it was impaired in CLICO (Guyana) for more than a year.
The Working Peoples’ Alliance (WPA) said that the abuse which President Jagdeo directed at well known Chartered Account, Attorney-at-Law and Stabroek News columnist, Christopher Ram, at the forum should be roundly condemned.
The party said that it underscores the depth of his descent into the politics of spite and lack of tolerance for dissent.
“This kind of behaviour by the President has now become the norm…While these displays may be a source of partisan satisfaction to the President, it is nothing short of political arrogance and disrespect for his office and the Guyanese people.”
The person holding his position is expected to conduct himself/herself with dignity and not, as President Jagdeo did, expose the Office of President of Guyana to ridicule.
The party also stated that it was quite distressing to see some of those present applauding the President’s outburst, perhaps demonstrating the extent to which they were intimidated and not prepared to rock the boat….This is a sad commentary on the condition of our political culture.”
It was pointed out that even if the President disagreed with Ram’s position there are more dignified ways to express such disagreement.
“The right to dissent is a constitutional right that the President is bound to respect it…WPA calls on citizens and organisations to raise their collective voices against this latest outrage by Jagdeo and say enough is enough.”
Lance Carberry, Chief Whip of the People’s National Congress Reform, during his party’s most recent press briefing also slammed Jagdeo for his remarks, not only against Ram, but also against others in recent times.
He drew reference to the Presidential Address to the launch of Heritage Month where President Jagdeo used the opportunity to “cuss out” and verbally attack Dr. George Norton, the Chief of GOIP, for the views he expressed during his earlier address to the Ceremony.
Carberry said that this despicable behaviour by the President caused the Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform, Robert Corbin, to observe that “Mr. Jagdeo has no time, place or taste in terms of how he deals with these matters at public events and degrades the office of President in the manner in which he behaves at public functions, using his privileged position as president to attack people in public because they express personal views”.
Carberry said that it seems that President Jagdeo finds it difficult to observe the standards of decorum expected of the Head of State.
Instead, as reported in the media, President Bharrat Jagdeo is quoted as saying “It’s a small group of people. Many of them have lived their lives already; old people. They want to destroy, you know, because they didn’t have. They have lived their lives, many of them so engrossed in bitterness, that they want to snatch away the future from all of you and from this country. We shouldn’t allow that to happen”.
What message was he conveying to these young people who are about to start to contribute to nation building?
“Is the President advocating that these young people should disrespect and disregard their elders,” questioned Carberry?
He suggested that such morally retrograde, short-sighted thinking and crudity is unbecoming of someone occupying the Office of President of Guyana.
Carberry also spoke to the comments that President Jagdeo made against Ram. He described the outburst as crude and petulant. “Is this the behaviour that the Guyanese people expect of their President?”
Carberry said if the President was not so “full of himself” and, apparently, intoxicated by the power of the Presidency, he may have come to recognise his own needs for mentoring and counselling, so that he could benefit from the guidance, wisdom and experience of the very persons against whom he has compulsively chosen to launch such venomous attacks.
“The PNCR must sadly conclude, Forgive him for he knows not what he says!”
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