Apr 17, 2020 News
By Shikema Dey
“The President is not a dual citizen!” Ministry of the Presidency’s Communications Director, Mark Archer, stated emphatically yesterday to Kaieteur News.
However, a government dossier entitled “Guyana 2020 Election” would have one believe otherwise, as it clearly has the incumbent President, David Granger, listed as a United States citizen.
The dossier was among public documents released; prepared on behalf of the government by Washington lobbyist firm JJ&B, LLC who was contracted to change the narrative being peddled by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in the international community.
When the dossier was circulated, questions were raised as to why the President was listed as a US citizen, when the constitution explicitly bars candidates for the general elections from holding dual citizenship.
All candidates who contested the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections were required to make sworn decrees that they were aware of a provision in the constitution that prohibits dual citizens from participating in the presidential elections.
That provision is Article 155 (1) (a) of the Constitution of Guyana which states, that “No person shall be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly who is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.”
However, the dossier on page on page 135 has “President and Chief of State, His Excellency, David Granger: United States Citizen, U.S & British military training, Prolific Author, Former Chief of Staff of Guyana’s Defense Force.”
Prior to the elections, Dr. Vishnu Bandhu, Carl Greenidge, Valerie Leung, Gail Teixeira and Lenox Shuman were among those who held dual citizenship and relinquished same in order to be eligible to contest in the elections.
Pressure was especially placed on Shuman, Presidential Candidate for the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) when it was discovered that he was still a dual citizen.
Shuman told Kaieteur News that if there is any truth to the listing in the dossier, the President has “perjured himself” and needs to immediately correct it, as the constitution is clear.
The dual citizenship issue emerged in December 2018 when Alliance For Change (AFC) member Charrandass Persaud voted in favour of a No Confidence Motion brought by the opposition. Hours after, Persaud, who is also a Canadian citizen, left the country.
