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Dual citizens do not automatically make list of candidates defective – GECOM
Kaieteur News – The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Saturday clarified that persons with dual citizenship whose names appear on any List of Candidates do not automatically make the list defective.
The clarification comes days after the Commission erroneously stated that “if the name of a dual citizen appears on any List of Candidates, such a list would be defective”.
“Whereas the law prohibits persons with dual citizens from being elected as Members of the National Assembly, once the list contains surplus names of persons who are not dual citizens and who are qualified to be elected as members of the National Assembly, the list will NOT automatically become defective with the removal of the name of the person with dual citizenship,” GECOM said.
Last week, GECOM reminded that dual citizens do not qualify to become members of the National Assembly.
In a statement, GECOM said that to be a member of the National Assembly of Guyana, a person must be a Guyanese citizen, at least 18 years old, be registered as an elector, and be able to speak and read English well enough to participate actively in parliamentary proceedings.
Article 155(1)(a) of the Constitution stipulates that “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.”
GECOM said that the Article was inserted in the Constitution to address concerns about dual citizenship among parliamentarians. Accordingly, dual citizens are not eligible to be nominated or elected as Members of Parliament.
However, on Saturday, the Elections Commission made it clear that “the list will become defective only if the removal of a person with dual citizenship would render the list not meeting the statutorily required number of candidates.”
GECOM apologized for any confusion the initial statement may have caused.
Meanwhile, GECOM noted that Article 155 (1) (d) of the Constitution states that candidates should not hold or be acting in any of the following offices such as Judge of the Supreme Court of Judicature, Member of Public Service Appellate Tribunal, Member of the Elections Commission, the Judicial Service Commission, the Public Service Commission, the Teaching Service Commission or the Police Service Commission, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Ombudsman, or the Auditor General.
“GECOM is therefore advising all contestants to ensure that they exercise caution in the preparation of their respective Lists of Candidates, to avoid any possibility of their lists being classified as defective,” the release stated.
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