Although the recent legal challenge to the validity of former parliamentarian Charrandass Persaud’s election as a Member of Parliament (MP) due to his dual citizenship has raised questions about government members with a similar status, both of the governing coalition’s partners, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC), have expressed an unwillingness to speak on the issue.
The issue of MPs holding dual citizenship took centre stage once again following a vote by Persaud, then an AFC member and government parliamentarian, which resulted in the opposition PPP/C’s no confidence motion against government being declared passed on December 21st on a vote of 33 to 32.
Following the vote, Persaud, who has Canadian citizenship, solicited the help of the Canadian High Commission and his close friend Peter Ramsaroop to safely leave the country.