Greenidge continued role in int’l matters, national security is “troubling”- Ram

Feb 12, 2019 News

In keeping with the constitution and the recent ruling of Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire, dual citizens are not to hold any ministerial post or even sit as part of the National Assembly.
Attorney at Law, Christopher Ram has noted that the constitution is being violated by both government and opposition. But he said that the most worrying violator on this matter is Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge.

Attorney at Law, Chris Ram

Ram said that President Granger and his Government have “no intention of honouring the Constitution which they swore to uphold. I hold this view because of his refusal to revoke the appointment of Ministers Carl Greenidge, Joseph Harmon, Rupert Roopnaraine and Dominic Gaskin, all admitted violators of Article 155 who are therefore ineligible for appointment as Vice-President or Ministers.”
“Mr. Greenidge’s is particularly troubling since he continues to lead Guyana’s engagement in some major international initiatives, some with security implications.”
The Attorney noted that the conflict extends to the ministers’ places in the National Assembly in which they cannot continue to sit. Ram said that this reality makes it hard to contemplate any sitting of the National Assembly to extend the election date.
Alliance For Change (AFC) had said that Minister Dominic Gaskin did not violate Article 155 of the Constitution as he did not pledge allegiance to another country. He was born in the United Kingdom.
Nevertheless, Ram thinks that Harmon, Greenidge and Gaskin should be removed from the National Assembly. He said that that “will leave people like (Minister Ronald) Bulkan and (Khemraj) Ramjattan as leading front-benchers on the Government side while (Opposition parliamentarians) Gail Teixeira, and possibly (Odinga) Lumumba and Anamayah of the PPP/C will also have to go.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge

Ram said that for President Granger to remove the violators of article 155 “would require a demonstration of strong leadership which has so far been missing, thus making unlikely an early parliamentary vote to extend the National Assembly beyond March 21.”
On February 2, Chief Justice George-Wiltshire held that former Government Member of Parliament (MP) Charrandass Persaud, was not “not qualified” for election to the National Assembly by virtue of his own acts in acknowledging allegiance and adherence to a foreign power to the sovereign state of Canada, in contravention of Article 155 (1) (a).
She was at the time ruling on an application by Berbice resident Compton Reid challenging the validity of Persaud’s eligibility to be in the National Assembly, given that he is a citizen of Canada, as well as the legality of his critical vote that led to the passage of the December 21st no-confidence motion against the government.
According to Article 155 (1) (a) of the constitution, “No person shall be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly who is, by virtue of his or her own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.”