Granger’s boasting of presidential powers undemocratic – Jagdeo

Revoking dual citizenship

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has stated that President David Granger’s recent boasting of presidential powers to revoke the dual citizenships of Guyanese highlights the undemocratic nature of the coalition Administration.

During a dedication ceremony in honour of the late former Indigenous Member of Parliament, Stephen Campbell, on Thursday, the Head of State said that the Constitution of Guyana empowers him to quash the citizenship of any Guyanese who also benefits from citizenship in another country.
But according to Jagdeo, who is a former President himself, this has never been enforced by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government in its more than 20 years in office.
“That power was always in the Constitution but you ever hear Cheddi Jagan or Janet Jagan or Samuel Hinds or Jagdeo or [Donald] Ramotar ever threatened to do that? In fact all the years in office, we’ve never done that. It just shows the undemocratic nature of this Government,” Jagdeo posited during a massive PPP/C rally at Stewartville, West Coast Demerara, on Sunday.
Article 46 (1) of the Constitution states: “If the President of Guyana is satisfied that any citizen of Guyana has at any time after 25th May 1966, acquired by registration, naturalisation or any other voluntary act (other than by marriage) the citizenship of any other country other than Guyana, the President may by order deprive that person of his or her citizenship.”

As such, President Granger said last Thursday that “The Constitution empowers the President with the authority to deprive a dual citizen of his or her Guyanese citizenship…”
He went on to note that while Citizenship entitles every Guyanese to a share in the country’s patrimony and obligates the State to protect its citizens, both at home and abroad, it “…is not a symbol. It is a qualification which ascribes rights, benefits and entitlements”.
The issue of dual citizenship came to the fore in 2018, when the Government, having been defeated by an Opposition-tabled No-Confidence Motion, attempted to nullify the motion. They argued that former coalition Member of Parliament, Charrandas Persaud, who had crossed the floor and voted in favour of the Opposition’s NCM, was a dual citizen and as such, could not have legally been sitting in Parliament.
However, the matter reached the Caribbean Court of Justice which threw out Government’s arguments and ruled that the December 21, 2018 passage of the NCM was indeed valid. But the Court did note that “…a person holding Guyanese nationality is not qualified to be elected a member of the National Assembly, if that person is also, voluntarily, a citizen of another State”.
The issue was again highlighted at last month’s Nomination Day, when a number of dual citizens enlisted their names on political parties’ list of candidates. Those persons had to subsequently relinquish their foreign citizenship before they were eligible to contest.
Meanwhile, during Sunday’s massive rally, Jagdeo, who is also the General Secretary of the PPP, also drew attention to remarks by the Head of State who had indicated an intention to remove the No-Confidence Motion provisions from the Constitution.
“India has a no-confidence vote and they have one billion voters – the Government can fall on one single vote. In the United Kingdom, you can fall on a single vote. But King Granger here doesn’t need that in our Constitution. King Granger is offended that the Parliament could vote against him,” Jagdeo stated.
The PPP General Secretary further pointed out that Granger has broken the tradition of most democratic countries in the world and allowed Parliament to function for over a year with no oversight.
“…very few countries in the world can match that in terms of undemocratic rule. He has refused to accept the Constitution, he has refused to accept rulings of the Court,” the Opposition Leader noted.
To this end, he told thousands of supporters that Guyana needs an Executive President, one who knows what’s going on and can chart the way forward. According to him, PPP/C Presidential Candidate Dr Irfaan Ali is that person.
“He grew up in this party. He was one of the most efficient Ministers. He delivered on large scale tasks. He is young, he is bright and he has energy. That is what we need in a president today. We need a President who can sympathise with people; who will listen to the farmers, and the fishermen and the sugar workers – talk to each one of them, stop and listen to them. So not an aloof President like Granger,” Jagdeo stated.
According to the Opposition Leader, while Ali has been around the country connecting with citizens, the APNU Leader seems to be untouchable even to his supporters.