Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs has requested that the members of the National Assembly who held dual citizenship while sitting in the 11th Parliament prove that their only allegiance lies with Guyana.
In a letter sent to members and seen by Stabroek News, Isaacs reminds that Article 115(1) of the Constitution states that no person shall be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly who— (a) is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.
He notes that in 2019 the Guyana Court of Appeal conclusively ruled that a person is not eligible to be elected if they hold dual citizenship before asking that those members who held allegiance or adherence to a foreign power or state during the 11th parliament and have relinquished same to submit proof of relinquishment.
The request is likely to affect Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Government, Gail Teixeira and “presumptive Opposition Leader”, Joseph Harmon who both held dual citizenship in 2019. They along with four other members, Dominic Gaskin, Carl Greenidge, Rupert Roopnaraine and Odinga Lumumba resigned from parliament after the January, 2019 ruling.
Teixeira who previously held Canadian citizenship announced that she had renounced in October 2019 and submitted her certification of renunciation to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on nomination day.
Harmon also announced in November that he had renounced the American citizenship he formerly held.
The letter goes on to advise all Members to ensure that they are in conformity with the Article but there is no request that they prove this compliance.
At least one other member, Lenox Shuman of the Liberty and Justice Party has been publicly identified as a dual citizen.
Shuman had announced in February that he had renounced his Canadian citizenship but resisted efforts by GECOM to have him present proof.
In fact the Commission had removed his name from his party’s list of Candidates when asking for him to show that he was eligible to hold office on Nomination Day, January 10.
In response Shuman threatened legal action and his lawyer engaged in a lengthy correspondence with the Commission.
A letter released by Shuman on February 5 showed that GECOM Chair Justice Claudette Singh had written to the lawyer K A Juman-Yassin SC referencing previous correspondence and stating that “the Commission after considerable deliberations decided that Mr Shuman’s name would remain on his party’s list”.
A certificate of renunciation was not included in any of the correspondence.
