President David Granger has indicated that he remains open to engaging Opposition Leader and Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, on national issues and will continue to do so. However, he is also of the view that former Presidents should also be prudent in their remarks.

In a wide ranging four-page interview carried in the Guyana Review in today’s Stabroek News, the President said he remains cordial with the former Presidents of Guyana but that tendency is not being reciprocated.

He told the Guyana Review that he believes since those who would have served in the office he now holds, would have already had their time, they should not be obstructive.

“I believe former Presidents need to be more prudent in their remarks. They have had the opportunity to run the country and now they are no longer in the presidency they should not try to impede or obstruct other persons from doing their jobs. Perhaps it is a role for other critics”, Granger said in the interview.

The President has found himself being challenged almost weekly by former President and current Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo. Additionally from time to time, the other two former Presidents, Donald Ramotar and Samuel Hinds would issue press releases or write letters to the press, criticising the current administration and government policies and issues.

President Granger said he believes that former Presidents ought to be more guarded in their approach to the presidency.

“I would like to continue to continue to improve my relationship with Mr. Jagdeo. There was much publicity recently to a phone call made by former President Carter of the United States. People attribute too much to that call. I do not complain but I was very concerned that when I  went to the National Assembly, I was not given an opportunity to be heard, it was more than an absence of cordiality when members of the National Assembly start banging the tables for an hour and displaying placards. I thought that was vulgar and I said so, I do not expect that a Head of State should be treated like that”, the President noted.

The President said while he may not agree with many of the things done under the Jagdeo and Ramotar Presidencies, he does not allow his thoughts to interfere with the dialogue.

“I cannot ignore the forty-nine percent of the population simply because they do not have a parliamentary majority”, the President said.

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