DR Bharrat Jagdeo, the former President and incoming Opposition Leader, announced last Tuesday his intention to reject a $500,000 monthly salary as Opposition Leader in order to retain his current presidential pension of $1.4M. Had he opted to accept the salary of Opposition Leader, he would have effectively disqualified himself from receiving his current presidential pension.
At a news conference held at Freedom House on Tuesday last, the former President gave reasons why he would not be accepting the salary of Opposition Leader, a position he is expected to fill when the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) assume their seats in the Eleventh Parliament on Monday: “I am not accepting it because I get a pension.”
But he was at the time offering a rebuttal to what appeared to be speculative assumptions that salary increases for Members of Parliament (MPs) were pending. Jagdeo said that if the proposed hike in salaries for MPs and ministers is implemented, then the salary of the Opposition Leader would be adjusted to $1.1M.

Facing, over the years, heavy criticisms for receiving a hefty pension since he demitted presidential office, Jagdeo argued that if the salary proposals were implemented, then serving Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo would have been receiving a salary of $1.7M.
Jagdeo explained that since the PM would have spent more than 12 years in Parliament, if the PM were to demit office today, he would be receiving a pension larger than Jagdeo’s.
“So, after two months in office, Nagamootoo would have had a pension bigger than mine. They [the Government] need to tell people that now, since they are talking about salaries in our era,” he added.
But just last month, numerous benefits to which Jagdeo was entitled were axed by the APNU+AFC Government, who had signalled intention to do same since its accession to office earlier this year.
The bill that was passed in the House to cut the benefits of the former president now limits expenses incurred for utilities such as electricity, telephone and water to $25,000 each month.
The bill also provides for “services of personal and household staff, including a gardener, provided that the total number of such staff shall not exceed three persons, including any member of the staff who may be on earned vacation or sick leave.”
Dr Jagdeo has also now been restricted to a financial limit of $200,000 per annum for medical expenses; and expenses incurred for medical procedures done overseas would be reimbursed only if that medical treatment were not available at local public health institutions.
However, in relation to the financial allocation for the Opposition Leader’s office, Jagdeo explained that that is a different issue, since that money will not be coming directly to him. “That’s not my benefit personally, it would come to people who come to the constituency and so,” he said, adding that anything which comes to him directly he will not accept.
The position of Opposition Leader is complemented by office accommodation which is fully paid for and furnished by the State, and is staffed with one Research Officer (RO), one Executive Assistant, and one Clerical/Office Assistant.
He would also be entitled to one chauffeur, one gardener, two household assistants or domestic servants, and 24-hour personal security for his office and for his official place of residence.

By Ravin Singh