Dual citizen ex-ministers rehired in same ministries

May 15, 2019 News

Three of the four Cabinet ministers who resigned last month in keeping with a number of ground-breaking court decisions on dual citizen

Appointed Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge

ship of parliamentarians, have been appointed to new positions created in the same ministries they once served.
The three former ministers are Carl Greenidge, Dominic Gaskin and Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine.
The positions are newly created and would give sweeping, substantial responsibilities for the former ministers.
According to the Ministry of the Presidency, Greenidge has been appointed Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He will hold responsibilities for the Department of Frontiers and Territorial Integrity and the Department of Trade and Economic Cooperation.
Last week, President David Granger had made it clear that he wanted Greenidge in the ministry, especially in the context of Guyana’s on-going border case which has been filed with the International Court of Justice, in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Appointed Director of Manufacturing and Marketing. Ministry of Business, Dominic Gaskin

A former Vice President, Greenidge’s knowledge in the case has been seen as key for a positive outcome in the court.
Gaskin, the president’s son-in-law who belong to the other coalition partner- the Alliance For Change- will also be going back to his ministry. He has been appointed to a new position that has been created- Director of Manufacturing and Marketing within the Ministry of Business with responsibility for the enforcement of standards, providing assistance to small producers and access to markets, particularly Eastern Caribbean markets.
Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of the Presidency, Dr. Roopnaraine h

Appointed Director of Public Service Training within the Ministry of the Presidency, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine

as been appointed Director of Public Service Training within the Ministry.
He has responsibility for training standards at the Bertram Collins College of the Public Service, Guyana Defence Force Staff College and Guyana Police Force Staff College.
The three former ministers were among four who resigned last month in keeping with a Court of Appeal ruling earlier this year on dual citizenship.
Former Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, is now the Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency.
President Granger last week swore in Dr. Karen Cummings, Haimraj Rajkumar and Tabitha Sarabo-Halley as the Foreign Affairs Minister, Business Minister and Minister with Responsibilities of Public Service respectively to replace the three.
The Cabinet moves were sparked after a momentous December 21, 2018 no confidence vote that saw the government toppled.
However, the Coalition Government appealed the motion in the court, insisting that Charrandass Persaud, its parliamentarian who joined with the Opposition to vote yes to the no-confidence motion, was illegal as he had dual citizenship with Canada.
The High Court ruled that he indeed breached the Constitution by sitting as a parliamentarian when he had dual citizenship.
It was upheld in the Court of Appeal.
The matter is now before the Caribbean Court of Justice which is expected to rule shortly.
The cases stemming from the no-confidence motion is being closely watched as it spells early elections if the CCJ rules the motion was properly carried.
Government said it abided with the Court of Appeal ruling that no parliamentarian who has dual citizenship can be a member of the House.
By virtue of the ruling, it meant the four ministers also had to resign their posts as ministers.