OPPOSITION Members of Parliament (MPs), Gail Teixeira and Adrian Anamayah have reportedly resigned from the National Assembly, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, said on Wednesday.

He told reporters that another MP, Odinga Lumumba, who also holds dual citizenship, is expected to hand in his resignation to the National Assembly. Jagdeo said that Teixeira, who is the party’s Chief Whip and who has been in parliament since 1992, is expected to renounce her Canadian citizenship.

Earlier this month, President David Granger accepted resignation letters from Vice-President and Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Minister of Public Service, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine; and Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin.
President Granger said several processes must be followed before the resignations take effect. The MPs tendered their resignations to the President on Monday April 1, 2019 in keeping with the indications of High Court and Court of Appeal that it is unconstitutional for a person who swore allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state to be a Member of Parliament.

Harmon is an American citizen while Greenidge, Dr. Roopnaraine and Gaskin are British citizens. However, with the exception of Gaskin, the others have signalled their willingness to renounce their foreign. While offering clarity on the situation, President Granger in a statement, explained that the replacement of MPs can be done only when those MPs submit their letters of resignation to the Speaker of the National Assembly as prescribed by the Constitution of Guyana.

President Granger explained that the nomination of new MPs can be done only after the extraction of names from the National Top-Up list is approved by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). As such, the four ministers – Greenidge, Harmon, Gaskin and Dr. Roopnaraine – will remain ministers until all the processes are completed. The President, moreover, has not approved replacements at this time. However, he noted that the resignation of the ministers is in keeping with the Constitution of Guyana as well as the March 22, 2019 ruling of the Court of Appeal relative to the validity of the no-confidence motion passed on December 21, 2018. Hours after the announcement was made, Cabinet said for the ensuing period, as is the usual practice, the ministerial portfolios, when they become vacant, would be held by sitting members of Cabinet who previously acted when those ministers were on leave or out of the jurisdiction.