Clerk finally receives Harmon’s proof of citizenship renunciation

…Shuman tells Clerk documents overseas, to submit by weekend

Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, is now in receipt of proof that Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon has renounced his dual citizenship, leaving just one Member of Parliament (MP) with his proof outstanding.

This was confirmed when this publication made contact with Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs. Issacs revealed that he received Harmon’s proof of renunciation on Wednesday morning.
As for the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Lenox Shuman, who was known in the past to be a Canadian citizen, Isaacs said he is yet to receive anything. However, he explained that he has met with the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) leader, and certain undertakings were given.
“I received from Joseph Harmon at 10:45am… Mr. Shuman was here to see me, and he said there was a slight problem. His documents were submitted to the Elections Commission, but were sent back to Canada. He’s working towards getting something to me by the end of this week,” Issacs said.
“His letter of renunciation was sent back as well, but he’s going to get a letter from the Canadian High Commission to me by the end of this week, and he’ll use that until his certificate can be returned to him.”
Issacs had previously sent out a notice instructing MPs who renounced their citizenship to submit proof of this. When the 1st sitting of the 12th Parliament was held on Tuesday, only one MP known to have been a dual citizen had so done. That MP was Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Government Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, who was previously a citizen of Canada and had renounced her citizenship since last year.

Harmon, who was formerly a US citizen, was adamant on Tuesday that he had submitted his proof. “The Clerk of the National Assembly yesterday wrote to all Parliamentarians on this issue of dual citizenship. This morning, I wrote to the Clerk and submitted to him the original sealed copy of my revocation certificate, as well as a copy and asked that he return my sealed certificate,” Harmon declared on Tuesday.
“I am hopeful that all those other persons who are so affected – and I can recall two who are so affected, including the Government Chief Whip and the (Deputy Speaker) – I trust that, by the end of today, he circulates to all these MPs the certificates he asked for, so we can be sure everyone is in their rightful place in the National Assembly,” Harmon also said.
Article 155 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana makes it clear that MPs who are dual citizens would be disqualified from sitting in the National Assembly. The issue of dual citizenship came up after December 21, 2018, when Alliance For Change (AFC) MP Charrandas Persaud voted in favour of the No-Confidence Motion which toppled and effectively led to the booting of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition from Government.
At that time, a number of dual-citizen MPs were sitting in the National Assembly on both sides of the aisle.
From the APNU/AFC coalition, those MPs were Minister of State Joseph Harmon (United States citizenship), Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, and Public Service Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine (all British citizens); along with Persaud, who held Canadian citizenship. They all had to resign as MPs.
On the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) side, Adrian Anamayah, Odinga Lumumba, and Gail Teixeira all held foreign citizenship.
The APNU/AFC used Persaud’s dual citizenship as a weapon in its arsenal seeking to overturn the No-Confidence Motion, arguing in vain that Persaud was not qualified to be in the National Assembly, and as such, his vote in favour of the motion was invalid. (G3)