By Fareeza Haniff
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Three years after taking up the presidency, Donald Ramotar has finally addressed the long standing perception that former President Bharrat Jagdeo is “pulling the strings” behind the scene at Office of the President.
In addressing the issue on the radio programme, ‘Hard Talk’ aired on 90.1 Love FM on Sunday, May 03, President Ramotar dismissed the claims that he is being used as a puppet President, nothing that he does not take the allegations “seriously.”
“Well you know when Mr Jagdeo became President they used to say that I was pulling the strings behind the scene from Freedom House and they also used to say that Janet Jagan was pulling the strings, so really I don’t take those things seriously. I know Jagdeo was President of this country for 12 years and he was in government for a longer period of time. He has accumulated an enormous amount of experience,” Ramotar said.
Meanwhile, the incumbent President also shed light on the newly established National Economic Council (NEC) in which he appointed Jagdeo as the Chairman.
According to Ramotar, in the three years that he has been President, he observed that there is “some deficiency as far as implementation is concerned. So one of the things that they [NEC] will do, because there is so much things to do in government, is give total focus to ensure that projects are implemented and implemented on time.”
He further noted that the NEC will make recommendations to Cabinet about other economic projects that could be of benefit to the country. In defending Jagdeo’s appointment, Ramotar made it clear that he [Jagdeo] is not being paid for his services, debunking reports that the NEC was created just to insert the former President into government.
“He is a very very good economist and I think it’s a resource that we have there that we don’t have to pay for. His services will be completely free; there will be no cost to the Guyanese people for his services so I don’t see why I should not make use of such a resource,” President Ramotar said.
In February of this year, the Working Peoples Alliance (WPA) had noted that it viewed with much concern the decision of Ramotar to appoint Jagdeo as the Head of the NEC.
In a statement, the WPA had noted that the announcement signals the commencement of the “deception and double talk” that is to come from the Office of the President during the election period.
Yes he was, and still is! And as long as Ramotar keeps defending Jagdeo, his life from here on will be worst than living in a sewer.
U surely know a lot of figures. Y don’t u try to step in his shoes? Trying to sell your story seems a bit delusional don’t you think? Jagdeo is a boss and Donald is also a boss who knows what to say to keep people like you fretting. Lol.
Nobody works for free.the natiomal economic council was created so jagdeo brassington and the rest of the oligarchs can have more access to the wealth of Guyana. Ramotar claims that jagdeo os a good economist that not true the skeldon sugar factory clearly shows how illiterate jagdeo is.according to ecomomic terms if you invest 10 dollars and you fail to make the projected profit meaning if you should be getting 5 dollars profit and you are only getting 1.50 cent you are getting diminishing returns and that is the problem with skeldon sugar factory, so Ramotar don’t big up the boy jagdeo who is directing you how to run Guyana think for yourself and talk for yourself
The man was handpicked by Jagdeo, so whom would he be loyal to? not Jagdeo. they system of choosing a successor is thru’ a process called nepotism. The incumbent will always be obligated to his uncle.
Whatever he sees it as I don’t think that anyone has a problem with whatever Jagdeo does coz he is a Boss! I don’t see anyone else who can fill his space in the opposition.
Hmmm seems as if the President either considers things as too petty or he doesn’t considers them to seriously to be bothered by them