Former Minister and former Member of Parliament Annette Ferguson has vowed to continue her weekly protest against the Government’s Former Presidents (Benefits and Other Facilities) Bill 2026, declaring she will remain on the picket line until the legislation is withdrawn.
Marking the fourth consecutive week of demonstrations on Tuesday, July 14, Ferguson again stood outside the Office of the President with placards declaring “Kill the Bill,” urging Guyanese to join what she described as a fight against legislation that would saddle taxpayers with expanded lifelong benefits for former Heads of State.
“This fight is not about politics alone; it is about fairness, accountability and protecting the taxpayers of Guyana,” Ferguson declared, vowing to continue protesting “until the bill is scrapped.”
The proposed legislation seeks to repeal the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Administration’s 2015 reforms, which capped benefits, and restore the more expansive benefits contained in the 2009 Former Presidents Benefits Act. If enacted, former presidents would be entitled to taxpayer-funded water, electricity and telephone services, household staff, clerical and technical personnel, full-time security, state-provided and maintained vehicles, transportation benefits, free medical care for themselves and their dependent families, annual vacation allowances and tax exemptions.
The Government has argued that the bill establishes a uniform legal framework and ensures equal treatment for all former presidents.
However, public concern over the legislation has intensified following recent disclosures surrounding President Irfaan Ali’s expansive Long Creek agricultural estate. Critics argue that the bill would require taxpayers to finance utilities, transportation, staffing and other state-funded benefits for a former president who owns a substantial private farming enterprise, raising questions about whether citizens should underwrite those costs long after a president leaves office.
For Ferguson, the timing of the bill could not be worse.
She contends that while thousands of Guyanese continue to struggle with the rising cost of living despite unprecedented oil revenues, the Government is asking Parliament to approve a package of lifetime benefits for former presidents that many ordinary citizens could never hope to receive.
Since launching her protest four weeks ago, Ferguson has maintained that the legislation should be abandoned and that public resources should instead be directed toward improving healthcare, education, public security, infrastructure and creating opportunities for struggling families.
On Tuesday, she broadened her appeal, calling on workers, pensioners, young people, civil society organisations and all Guyanese—regardless of political affiliation—to speak out against the bill.
“We cannot give up,” she said, urging citizens to unite behind the call to “Kill the Bill.”
Her protest comes amid growing opposition to the legislation, with critics arguing that the measure sends the wrong message at a time when many communities continue to grapple with inadequate public services, unreliable utilities and rising living costs. Ferguson insists the issue is larger than politics.
“It is about accountability,” she said, maintaining that taxpayers should not be asked to fund expanded lifetime privileges for former presidents while many Guyanese continue to struggle to meet basic needs.
With no indication that the Government intends to withdraw the legislation, Ferguson has pledged to return for a fifth week of protests, insisting her campaign will continue until the bill is defeated.
