Dear Editor,
Mr. Lenox Shuman may be a bit hasty in giving up his Canadian citizenship. While I applaud Mr. Shuman’s desire to serve, the law may not be on his side.
You see, while there has been a lot of debate about the qualifications to serve as a member of the National Assembly, very little attention has been paid to the qualifications to serve as President and/or Prime Minister.
The Constitution (Laws of Guyana) clearly states in Chapter IX, The President, 90 (b), that the nominee must be “…residing in Guyana on the date of the nomination for election and was continuously residing herein for a period of seven years immediately before that date.”
Qualifications for the Prime Minister’s position is similar to that of the president, given that the Prime Minister assumes the duties of the President if the President is away or unable to do so.
It is my understanding that Mr. Shuman returned to Guyana after the May 2015 elections after being a resident of Canada for many years. If this is true, then Mr. Shuman will not be eligible to be nominated for President or Prime Minister of Guyana until sometime after May 2022.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Z. Rahaman
