Presidential candidate of the newly-launched Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) Lenox Shuman has said that if he had not met the eligibility criteria for the presidency, he would not have accepted the nomination to be the candidate.
“It would be a clear demonstration of poor leadership on my part to not do my homework,” he said.
Shuman made the remarks on Wednesday when Stabroek News asked him if he had met the seven-year residency requirement stipulated in the constitution.
He did not elaborate on how he has met the seven-year requirement, having resided in Guyana for three years prior to leaving last year for Canada.
Article 90 (1) (b) of the Constitution says, “A person shall be qualified for election and shall not be so qualified” unless he “is residing in Guyana on the date of nomination for election and was continuously residing for a period of seven years immediately before that date.’
Meanwhile, Shuman said the LJP is anticipating a fair ruling by Justice Roxane George that will bring clarity on the no confidence motion and that “the elections are not delayed beyond the prescribed time in keeping with the constitution.”
The no-confidence motion, which was declared carried by the House Speaker, would require the holding of general and regional elections within 90 days of December 21st unless the High Court, which is hearing challenges to its validity, rules otherwise.
Shuman, the former toshao of St Cuthbert’s Mission and former vice chairman of the National Toshaos Council, last Saturday declared his intention to give up his Canadian citizenship to contest for the presidency.
Shuman, who returned to Guyana last Thursday to launch the party at the Georgetown Club, returned to Canada earlier this week to tie up loose ends before returning to continue the process of identifying candidates to contest the general and regional elections and to begin the party’s elections campaign countrywide.
The LJP is still to identify a prime ministerial candidate.
