IN the aftermath of Thursday’s High Court ruling that the holding of dual citizenship by parliamentarians is unconstitutional, opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira reportedly said she is prepared to give up her Canadian citizenship to continue as a Member of Parliament. This is according to the PPP’s General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo, who made the disclosure Friday at a news conference at Freedom House. Teixeira has been holding dual citizenship for years, serving as a MP since 1992.

Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire in her recent ruling noted that someone who holds dual citizenship cannot be elected to the National Assembly.

“I spoke with Gail Teixeira and she said to me she is prepared to give up her Canadian citizenship; so clearly this ruling has implications for the government and the ministers…and Teixeira has been thinking about doing so for a while,” Jagdeo said. The PPP general-secretary said the party is yet to officially discuss the impact of that aspect of the chief justice’s ruling, which notes the unconstitutionality of dual citizens as parliamentarians.
However, Jagdeo said it is his personal opinion that the constitution should be revisited to allow for overseas-based Guyanese to serve the nation in parliament.

“When this country starts booming in the future, not in 2020… we want the million-plus people who live abroad, we want them back here, our people, and I believe you can’t say to them come and work and live here and not aspire for political leadership,” Jagdeo said.
Based on the ruling, Jagdeo said that overseas-based dual citizens will not be contesting for parliamentary positions in the aftermath of the next general elections. Further, Jagdeo said that over 2000 persons have expressed interest to be on the party’s regional, geographic and top-up lists for the upcoming elections.

He noted that the party will be discussing nominees for the prime ministerial candidacy and when that decision is made, the party will disclose.

Meanwhile, Jagdeo said the government cannot operate as if it is “business as usual,” since the chief justice has made a ruling. “What the ruling has done now is take away any excuse from the government to further delay the preparation and the holding of elections within the prescribed period, which is 90 days starting from the date of the successful passage of the-confidence motion,” Jagdeo said. Adding that the President should address the nation and call elections, Jagdeo said “the President needs to speak now and name the date for elections and direct GECOM to start the preparations.”