Dear Editor,
I wish to add my views and experience to a letter headed ‘Green pension bill is timely’ in SN of November 23. I would first like to express my gratitude to the writer, Bevon Currie, who out of the wilderness mentioned my name in his letter, when all my political bedfellows have abandoned me.
I have no problem with the pension for Mr Hamilton Green, whom I met in 1968 at Jacklow, Pomeroon River when I chaired a public meeting for him, even though I was a PPP activist.
Originating in farming and being a US trained dental technician, I practised in the county of Essequibo. In 1957, the late Dr Cheddi Jagan accompanied by Harripersaud Nokta, solicited my help to build the party, not to build myself and family. My political culture and practice was different, which irked my colleagues. In the early 1970s, I was elected a Member of Parliament. My parliamentary salary was paid into the party’s bank account and the party withheld an amount for party funds. In applying for my NIS benefits, the party was delinquent in paying my contributions. I had to settle on a compromise with reduced benefits.
In an effort at extra-parliamentary struggle, when the objective and subjective conditions were pertinent in the Parliament in February 1991, I hurled a missile in the direction of the Speaker who was well versed in parliamentary procedure and could not be compared to the then Deputy Speaker, whose original profession was hire car driver. However, the Standing Orders were not adhered to and I was expelled. The then Prime Minister, Mr Hamilton Green, came to my residence and apologized.
By 1993, I was elected Chairman of the National Congress of Local Democratic Organs (NCLDO), in accordance with Article 79 of the 1980 Constitution, an office consistent with that of a senior minister. The administration then from 1994-2001, paid me a lesser salary than a Regional Chairman, all of whom were political appointees.
During the last 20 years, I tried my best to have this issue solved; three former presidents knew of it. Three former ministers of local government with the exception of Mr Ganga Persaud, were unable to differentiate a constitutional office from a party appointee. My retroactive payments would exceed one million. Both Mr Hamilton Green and I deserve adequate pensions; our days are numbered.
Yours faithfully,
Isahak Basir
