The Change Guyana party has found itself being forced to change its Prime Ministerial Candidate after the announced PM Candidate on Sunday announced his withdrawal from contesting the elections because of his dual citizenship status.
Co-founder of Change Guyana, Nigel Hinds, in a press statement on Sunday announced that he is still the holder of US Citizenship and does not intend to give up that citizenship owing to medical reasons.
He said he has been facing a medical condition since last November and “I was hoping that subsequent diagnostic tests would be favourable. However, the prognosis requires further medical intervention that is best done in the United States, where I’m also a citizen”.
Hinds said he remains committed to the campaign and will continue to support the party for the general elections.
“As a co-founder of Change Guyana, I will continue to do my utmost to ensure we keep working to unite Guyana towards a multiethnic, multicultural and multiracial society that focuses on inclusive and accelerated economic and social development across our beautiful country”, Hinds noted.
Under Guyana’s Constitution, the holder of foreign citizenship is prohibited from being elected to the Parliament of Guyana.
The Constitution states that “No person shall be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly who is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to a foreign power or state”.
Although the provision has been there since the year 2000, it was ignored by all of the political parties until it formed part of the legal proceedings that stemmed from the no-confidence motion and the Court reinforced its meaning.
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