November 5, 2020
Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir yesterday said that Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Oneidge Walrond’s renunciation of her American citizenship is “acceptable” while noting that the issue of the publicizing of the renunciation certificate is one between her and the Opposition.
Contacted on the issue yesterday, Nadir told Stabroek News that he is aware that Walrond uttered her renunciation on August 18th and he has no reason to doubt her.
“…..What I knew was that the Honourable Minister had said to me that she submitted her renunciation on 18th of August. I have no reason to not believe the Honourable Minister and I consider the renunciation of the 18th of August as acceptable to me,” Nadir said.
It has been argued by some that if the date of the renunciation certificate is later than September 1st when she was sworn in as a technocratic Member of Parliament that would have constituted a breach of Article 155 of the constitution.
The Opposition APNU+AFC has demanded that Parliament Office make public Walrond’s Certificate of Renunciation that confirms she has given up American citizenship.
In terms of making the renunciation certificate public, Nadir stated, “I think that is something between the Opposition and the Honourable Minister. I have asked the Clerk to check with the Honourable Minister with respect to documentation…..This issue of the certificate itself is another one.”
Meanwhile, Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs said he is still awaiting legal advice on the matter of Walrond’s renunciation. “I am still awaiting legal advice. I don’t want to do anything until I have the legal advice in the hand,” Isaacs said.
Given the furore over dual citizenship that had marred the 11th Parliament, Isaacs had urged MPs who had issues with dual citizenship to provide evidence of their eligibility to enter the new Parliament.
This had been provided by several MPs
In a letter, dated October 30th, APNU+AFC MP Roysdale Forde gave both Nadir and Isaacs a 24-hour deadline to either publish the certificate or face court action.
“The inaction by yourself and the Speaker of the National Assembly in the face of the unconstitutional appointment of Mrs. Oneidge Walrond is unacceptable and constitutes a violation of your obligation to uphold the Constitution of Guyana,” his letter stated.
Forde specifically referenced an October 25th letter sent by APNU+AFC Chief Whip Christopher Jones, which first requested that the certificate be made available to the opposition.
The party contends that Walrond was not qualified to be appointed as a Minister of Government and or Member of Parliament and therefore her appointment was in breach of the Constitution and consequently invalid.
“We are of the firm view that Mrs. Oneidge Walrond is not lawfully a member of the National Assembly and ought to be so declared. We are also of the view that the failure to respond to the aforesaid letter by supplying a copy of the Certificate of Renunciation is most untenable,” Forde’s letter contends.
However, while the 24-hour deadline has passed, Isaacs and Nadir said that up to yesterday afternoon they had still not received any such letter.
“I did not see and up to now I haven’t seen this supposed letter from the Member of Parliament Mr Forde,” Nadir said.
Isaacs related the same while stating that he is aware of what he is doing. “…No I haven’t seen anything…I heard about it. I don’t know what’s going on but I know what I am doing,” the Clerk said.
Efforts made by this newspaper to contact Forde yesterday on whether any legal action has been filed proved futile.
Walrond has been accused of taking the Oath of an MP while still possessing American citizenship in direct violation of a constitutional prohibition on dual citizens being eligible for elections as members of the Assembly, although her status as a technocrat minister has seen legal arguments suggesting that the provision would not apply in her case.
The APNU+AFC has been demanding that Walrond either produce a certificate dated before her swearing in or resign her position.
Walrond, in turn, has said that two weeks after she was invited to join the Cabinet, she wrote to the US Consular office renouncing her US citizenship with immediate effect. She said she was then informed of the administrative procedure she was required to comply with in order to obtain a Certificate of Loss of Nationality.
“I complied with that process by August 27. I have since received the Certificate of Loss of Nationality,” Walrond had said via a public statement.
She has not provided a date of the certificate.
