Dual citizens can represent us at the Olympics but not in Parliament. How medieval!

Dear Editor,
Most of the national athletes who represent our country at the Olympics are dual citizens. Our national football team Lady Jaguars and men senior football teams have majority overseas-based players who are dual citizens. Ambassadors who represent our country are sometimes dual citizens. Individuals who represent us at important world bodies like the UN and in Brussels are, for the most part, dual citizens. Beauty queens who represent our country in international pageants are sometimes dual citizens.
Yet, when it comes to our Parliament, our law prohibits dual citizens from being members. The main reason for this archaic law is that a person holding dual citizenship might have divided loyalty in terms of their true allegiance if they have to mediate on a situation involving the two countries of which they are both citizens.
Another reason is that they do not participate in the day-to-day life of the country and pay their taxes, hence they have not earned the right to be our representatives in Parliament.
Progressive sporting bodies like the Olympics and FIFA accommodate dual citizens to represent the country of their choice with the firm conviction that once an athlete wears a country’s flag above his heart, he would at all times give his complete commitment, skills, integrity and talent to that flag.
If a Guyanese who holds US citizenship is representing Guyana at the Olympics, do you think that athlete would deliberately go easy on the US athletes? On the contrary, that athlete would put all his efforts into securing glory for self and flag. The same would apply to a dual citizen in our Parliament. There is no reason to believe they would not represent themselves with integrity and patriotism.
We are a nation that has lost a lot of skilled countrymen during the PNC dictatorship and ensuing years. If we are to propel ourselves into the gilded age, we need to harness as much talent in the diaspora, and allow these dual citizens full participation in all the decision-making bodies of the country, inclusive of the Parliament.
To weed out the carpetbaggers and allow for dual citizens to participate and pay their taxes, a five-year mandatory residency in the country should be the precursor for entitlement of dual citizenship Guyanese to enter Parliament.
It is time to revoke this medieval law that bars dual citizens from participating in Parliament.

Yours sincerely,
Reggie Bhagwandin