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If Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo did not see the need to impress Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, with two of his children the majority of the people of Guyana would have been left in the dark about these two, the other two exposed by social media influencer, and rumour of others. Whereas under normal circumstances a man is free to choose to keep his children out of the public limelight, Jagdeo, as a public official, does not have the right to those secrecy.
Given the shenanigans of the vice president over the years as it relates to marriage and family, and his presentation of a carefree bachelor’s image, during and after his arranged marriage to Varshnie Singh, his mistreatment of her and disregard for misleading the public, the nation deserves answers.
The Guyana Trades Union Congress, in 2009, called for an investigation into the allegation of hi-tech domestic violence made by Ms. Singh at the hands of Jagdeo.
The vice president, as a major leader in society, must not get away with springing his children on the people. It is deceptive, irresponsible and disrespectful to the Guyanese community. It may also be unfair to those he has left behind and not given the privilege of appearing in the public to meet the Indian Prime Minister. It begs the question whether he is ashamed of them or for some reason cannot bring them into the public domain.
According to The Integrity Commission Act, which came into being in 1997 under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government which Jagdeo is well aware of, he had a responsibility to the nation to declare these children.
On ‘Full Disclosure’ in the Act, Article 15 expressly states: “A person in public life is required to disclose in his declaration, under section 13, such details in respect of the income, assets and liabilities of himself and those of his spouse and his children, as by the exercise of reasonable care should be known to him.”
While in the past the nation was kept in the dark as it relates to these two children, the question that needs to be asked is whether Jagdeo is compliant or in violation with the Act, and has he mentioned his children’s names together with their mothers on his declaration forms, over the years. If in perusing his returns the information is absent, then Jagdeo would have breached the law. The Integrity Commission must provide this information because the public has a right to know.
In typical colloquial fashion he has been gyrating, bumping and grinding around the place for years. Allegations of clandestine relationships were not believed, as he earned the label that pointed to an orientation some were of the opinion he was not prepared to come out with but preferred to remain closeted.
And whereas the revelation, official and unofficial, of various sets of children and talks of others does not fully clear the air, many stood up on social media to congratulate him on his fatherhood, while keenly noting the absence and non-disclosure of others whom he has allegedly fathered.
Notably, a photograph of two other mixed-race children, featuring him and a woman perceived to be their mother is also circulating, having been released by a popular social media influencer. Many have questioned why all the children were not treated equally and had the same opportunity to meet the Indian Prime Minister.
Is Jagdeo saying to this nation that the other children are not worthy of public acknowledgement? Can this be equated to similar experience when the children of exploitation, born to massa under the plantation system, were not worthy of public recognition?
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo owes this nation answers. He also owes it to the children who are equal and have a right to be owned and recognised in keeping with the Laws of Guyana. Jagdeo is not entitled to lie to the people; he is a public figure. So, the nonsense he claims that he is hiding his children from the world is not applicable because there are legal implications for his office for which he must be held accountable.
This nation must also ask what other deep and perhaps dark secrets is the vice president withholding from the electorate to whom he is answerable to?
