PM appeals to Opposition Leader to give up Canadian citizenship

The Prime Minister has encouraged the Leader of the Opposition to give up his Canadian citizenship because a person who aspires to leadership should not have split allegiances.

Dr Ralph Gonsalves’ appeal to Dr Godwin Friday came on Tuesday, May 15, on We FM in the wake of comments made two days earlier by Friday on Nice Radio.Friday had stated that he was twice qualified to be a Member of Parliament in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) because he is a citizen of two Commonwealth countries.

He noted Section 25 of the Constitution says one must be a Commonwealth citizen of the age of 21.“I am a Commonwealth citizen twice over, if anything. I am twice qualified,” Friday emphasized on Monday.But Gonsalves is of a different view and said that Friday had made “absolutely nonsensical statements which reflect the fact that people ought to not consider him in any way to lead this country or to lead the Opposition.”

The constitutionality of Friday being allowed to sit in Parliament was first raised in a letter to the editor written by pharmacist and social commentator Matthew Thomas and published by SEARCHLIGHT on April 24. Since then, the issue has generated much discussion.

“Friday said that he is twice qualified could you imagine that? He is qualified once as a Commonwealth citizen and also as a Vincentian. Is that how he looking at this issue and you want to lead?” Gonsalves stated, adding that Friday said his first allegiance is to SVG, so he is wondering if his second allegiance is to Canada.

“He swore allegiance [to Canada], so what you going to do now so that you can be triply qualified? Since being twice qualified is such a thing to commend you, be triply qualified; get citizenship of Zimbabwe, get citizenship of Nigeria and that will enhance him? Get citizenship of Kenya or South Africa or Australia, get all these citizenships and, hey you should vote for me because I am not just once qualified, I’m twice qualified,” quipped Gonsalves.“…if a matter comes up between St Vincent and the Grenadines, Canada and America, would he take the side of Canada whereas it might be in the interest of St Vincent and the Grenadines to take the said of the United States because he has allegiance to Canada?“So, if Canada and Venezuela have a problem, you take the side of Canada because that is your second allegiance,” asked Gonsalves while further commenting, “It’s absolute rubbish.”

He added, “What a lot of persons don’t understand, although it is the same person called the Queen, Queen Elizabeth II of England, of the UK, when she acts as the Queen of Canada she is a different person than the Queen of St Vincent and the Grenadines.“The second thing is this, when you become a citizen in Canada, you become a citizen not just to be registered, you have to swear a document of allegiance. You swear allegiance not just to Her Majesty, the Queen of Canada but swear allegiance also to the laws of Canada and to Canada,” said Gonsalves

.According to the St Vincent and the Grenadines Constitution Order, 1979, under the caption: Qualifications for Representatives and Senators, Section 25, Subsection (1), states; Subject to the provisions of section 26 of this Constitution, a person shall be qualified to be elected as a Representative if, and shall not be so qualified unless, he – (a) Is a Commonwealth citizen of the age of twenty-one years and upwards.Section 26: Disqualifications for Representatives and Senators: Section 26 (1) states: No person shall be qualified to be elected or appointed as a Representative or Senator (hereinafter in this section referred to as a member) if he – (a) Is by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.Gonsalves noted that the Government of SVG passed a law where officials swear allegiance to the people of SVG, so Friday must do what Minister of Finance Camillo Gonsalves did and renounce one of his citizenships.

“I want him to come and say, ‘my only allegiance to a country is to St Vincent and the Grenadines’. But to say so he must give up his Canadian citizenship and passport,” stressed Gonsalves who opined that it is a serious issue because at times he has to consult with Friday on issues of national importance.  Gonsalves said that if the issue is tested in court and Friday is cleared, this is still not a good thing.

“What it does is that it splits and dilutes your allegiance.

Why you don’t have SVG as your only allegiance and God? It tells you his mindset and after I talk he would try to see if he can polish what he spoke, but you can’t polish certain things,” said Gonsalves who is encouraging residents of the Northern Grenadines as well as vice president of the NDP St Clair Leacock to demand that Friday renounces his Canadian citizenship.