The very first job of a leader is to inspire trust

Jan 29, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

I am astounded that after more than one year since the no-confidence motion and the protracted court trials from the High Court to the Appeal Court resulting in the most comprehensive judgement delivered by the Caribbean Court of Justice, some Presidential hopefuls have yet blatantly violated Articles 53 and 155 of our Constitution and the Statutory Declaration Act Chapter 5:09, when throughout the legal imbroglio, a dual citizenship nomination to the National Assembly was upheld as being unconstitutional.
How can they not be aware that they have to give up their foreign citizenship before seeking nomination? It cannot be assumed that on Nomination Day they suddenly made a decision to contest as the Presidential candidate for their respective parties.
The Declaration Form 3A for Presidential Candidate stipulated five conditions which must be met, of which two state unambiguously that, ‘I am a citizen of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana’ and ‘qualified to be elected as a Member of the National Assembly’.
Article 155 further states that: ‘No person shall be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly who: – (a) is, by virtue of his or her own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence of a foreign power or state.’ Moreover, according to the Statutory Declaration Act, Chapter 5:09, ‘Everyone who makes a declaration according to this Act containing any statement false in fact or does not believe to be true, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be liable to imprisonment for one year.’
How can anyone violate this pellucid Section of the law? It seems that Granger as President has set a bad precedent when he blatantly disregarded and violated our Constitution and the CCJ’s orders, claiming that he has his own interpretation of the law. Now Shuman, Bandhu and Leung have followed suit, since their interpretation is that they could sign the Statutory Declaration and relinquish their Canadian and US Citizenship at a later date, probably when they are elected to the National Assembly.
I simply cannot fathom Yolanda Ward’s statement that these people need to ‘show cause’ for their violation! These people ignored the fact that they must relinquish their foreign citizenship before Nomination Day, at least before signing the Declaration Form. The USA and Canadian Immigration websites provide easy online procedures to renounce citizenship. Why were procedures not followed months ago? Why is GECOM so lenient with them?
Again, it leaves us to wonder if these ‘leaders’ suddenly awoke from their slumber and lethargy and decided to become the President of Guyana to bring prosperity to the Guyanese people. So many negative issues affecting our democracy have been going on in our country and we are yet to hear the voice of condemnation from the leaders of the small parties.
Then there are the bread and butter issues: the dismissal of 30,000 persons, the closing of four sugar estates, the mounting unemployment among our youths, the rising cost of living, the massive taxes and the inability of the vulnerable groups in our society to eke out a living. Then we must also mention the squandering of our taxpayers’ dollars and the ensuing massive corruption. Yet these leaders have remained mum.
Moreover, when the illegal Chairman of GECOM was appointed, the voices of these Presidential candidates were non-existent; when Granger blatantly violated our Constitution they watched on; when Granger ignored the CCJ orders they sat silently; when GECOM foisted the illegal House to House Registration upon us they had nothing to say; now that the Voters’ lists are in shambles they are busy with their own self-interest.
It is not too late for these persons in the smaller parties to make an about turn and start serving our country. Before we aspire for higher offices we must be prepared to serve the people. We must understand that the very first job of a leader is to inspire trust; it is the most essential element in our ability to deliver extraordinary results.
Yours sincerely,
Haseef Yusuf

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