Dear Editor,
The question of dual citizenship has arisen this time in Jamaica, a Caricom member country. It was brought to the forefront by a sore loser candidate from an opposition party who lost the election in his constituency. The candidate holding dual citizenship was forced to resign. What is interesting is that the head of the election commission was only then flooded by a wave of moral righteousness and resigned after having held the position for fifteen years.
In Canada, a major developed nation, which has a truly multicultural society, any Cana-dian can run for the office of prime minister if they manage to acquire the leadership of their party, even if that person is a naturalised Canadian. This last part I don’t agree with. I believe someone must be born in a country and at least spend one’s formative years there, before being entrusted with the privilege of leading a nation; that is, live in that country until at least age 18.
We have a case where a naturalised Guyanese became president, deservedly so in that instance. Why not Guyanese who lived abroad, acquired citizenship and wish to return home and contribute to their home country? I see this as an evolution that in the future will remove barriers to borders and benefit all Guya-nese who wish to sample life in another country.
Especially a developed country.
Here in Guyana, this remains an issue that has to be addressed. The two major political parties in Guyana continue to break the highest law of the land in this regard – the constitution. One media house and some persons have called for changes to the constitution from time to time to recognise dual citizenship, more especially so since half of our population with a vested interest in Guyana has acquired citizenship in another nation.
A tangible proof of vested interest is seen in the form of remittances, a line item in Guyana’s balance of payments, averaging more than the revenue from some of our major exports. But our constitution bars anyone who has sworn allegiance to another country from becoming an MP and therefore ever becoming prime minister or president.
However, an anomaly in our constitution provides for citizens of Commonwealth countries to vote in our elections, providing they provide proof of residence here for at least a year. Then perhaps as a starting point, our constitution can remove the barriers that currently exist for Guyanese who acquired the citizenship of a Commonwealth country.
Unlike Jamaica, Guyana must do the right thing by its people here at home and abroad and modify the constitution to recognise dual citizenship held by Guyanese and allow those persons to run for public office if they so desire. There can be some exceptions such as naturalised Guyanese and Guyanese born in another country. Another criterion could be that someone holding dual citzenship be resident here for at least five years before that person is eligible to run for public office.
If Guyana is to go the route of Jamaica, Guyana will be acting against its own interest and instead of attracting its citizens from the diaspora back home, it will definitely do the opposite. The result will be the same if the politicians allow the status quo to remain. It will be clearly evident to Guyanese in the diaspora that they don’t have a future here in Guyana and any consideration of returning home will go out the window. Investment from the diaspora will drop to a trickle as well as remittances which the country depends on.
I ask that the major political parties in Guyana do the right and just thing, and modify the constitution to remove all barriers in the constitution as these relate to Guyanese who hold dual citizenship.
Yours faithfully,
Ganesh Singh
