PPP to remove dual citizen parliamentarians

Last Updated on Thursday, 14 February 2019, 15:52 by Writer

Guyana’s Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday said his People’s Progressive Party (PPP) would replace its dual citizen parliamentarians if it has to return to the House for elections-related matters.

Jagdeo could not immediately say who would replace the lawmakers, saying the PPP was yet to discuss the matter.

The party’s dual citizen lawmakers are Guyanese-Canadian Gail Teixeira, and Guyanese-Americans Odinga Lumumba and Adrian Annamayah.

On the government’s side, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, a dual citizen himself (Guyanese-American) has said his People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) party and its related A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) was yet to discuss the matter as well and would await the outcome of the appeals right up to the Caribbean Court of Justice.

The other dual citizens on the ruling Coalition’s side are Guyanese-Britons Rupert Roopnaraine, Carl Greenidge and Dominic Gaskin.

Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire on January 31 ruled that it was unconstitutional for then government parliamentarian Guyanese-Canadian Charrandas Persaud to have been selected as a candidate and a parliamentarian.

Persaud had voted for the Jagdeo-sponsored no-confidence motion on December 21, 2018 and left for Canada hours later.

The High Court has ruled that the motion was validly passed because the constitution allows for preserving proceedings of parliamentarians who ought not to have been members.