Dear Editor,
Reference is made to the news story captioned `A disservice to Guyana’ (SN April 4) in which Minister Raphael Trotman calls for an amendment to the constitution that bars dual citizens from being Members of Parliament. More Guyanese live abroad than at home. There are more Guyanese who are dual citizens of other countries than of Guyana. They possess enormous resources (capital, skills, experience in development policies, governance integrity etc.) Minister Trotman is right that it is a disservice excluding them from participation in the country’s political affairs. I, therefore, join Minister Raphael Trotman in calling for an abolition of the law barring dual citizens from serving as MPs. If they can serve as CEOs and Chairs of government corporations and agencies, why can’t they serve in parliament? The law is an idiot in this regard.
Whenever the new parliament meets, the constitution should be amended accordingly. Or better yet, how about a new constitution in which all elected parties participate in a national unity government and with a role for Guyanese in the diaspora?
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Vishnu Bisram
