Electors object to nomination of two NDP Candidates

Mrs. Jacqueline Glasgow-Browne

Returning Officer

East Kingstown

Dear Mrs. Glasgow Browne,

We, the undersigned registered voters from the constituency of East Kingstown in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, hereby register with you our individual and collective objection to the nomination of Mr. Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble for election to the office of Representative for the constituency of East Kingstown in the upcoming general elections which are scheduled for Thursday 27th November 2025.

This objection is based on the firm factual and legal basis that Mr. Bramble’s nomination would be contrary to Section 26 (1) of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Constitutional Order 1979 (hereinafter referred to as “the Constitution”) which states that-

“No person shall be qualified to be elected or appointed as a Representative or Senator if he

(a) is by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to a foreign power or state…”

These constitutional provisions were repeated in Sections 35 and 36 of the Representation of the People Act (Chapter 9 of the Laws of St. Vincent and the Grenadines).

In March 2020, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (Appellate Division) in the case of Attorney General of St. Kitts and Nevis vs Dr. Denzil Douglas (SKBHCVA2019/0007), authoritatively decided that Dr. Denzil Douglas election to the Parliament in St. Kitts and Nevis was null and void and his seat in Parliament was declared immediately vacant. This decision was based on the fact that Dr. Douglas had obtained a diplomatic passport issued by the Commonwealth of Dominica which is a Member of the Commonwealth. We have enclosed a copy of the decision for your reference.

Mr. Bramble has said to several persons including some of us that he is, and has been for some time now, a citizen of Canada. He acquired this citizenship by virtue of his own act. He has also publicly stated that he has, as a consequence of his Canadian citizenship, a Canadian passport. Canada is a foreign power and a foreign state.

The fact that Mr. Bramble was nominated as a candidate and elected as a Representative in East Kingstown in the 2020 general elections does not affect this matter. He was not challenged on that earlier occasion. He is being challenged now.

We invite you as the Returning Officer for East Kingstown to carefully scrutinise “Form 3” in the Schedule to the House of Assembly Rules. This Form is the “Statutory Declaration of a Person Nominated for Election as a Member of the House of Assembly.” In that Form at Item 4 it is clearly stated that: “I am duly qualified to be elected as a member of the House of Assembly for the constituency and that I am not by virtue of my own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state”. Mr. Bramble cannot make a truthful declaration to this effect because he is a citizen of Canada “by virtue of his own act” and by virtue of this Canadian citizenship he has a Canadian passport. He is under an acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence, to the foreign power and state, namely Canada. This is absolutely clear.

We the undersigned are therefore strenuously objecting to his nomination on Nomination Day Monday 10m November 2025.

If the nomination of Mr. Bramble is permitted, the voters of our constituency will effectively be denied a proper choice the nomination will be challenged by us in the High Court, his election would be declared void, his seat would be vacated and the person with the next highest number of votes would be declared as the Representative for the constituency. Notably, there will be no requirement for a by-election in this case.

This letter is being made public to the registered voters of East Kingstown and will be posted at prominent public places on or before Nomination Day 10th November 2025.

We are copying this letter to the Supervisor of Elections and the Honourable Attorney General. We are sure that you would seek the advice of these persons before proceeding with the acceptance of any “nomination papers from Mr. Bramble.

Dear Sir,

 

We, the undersigned registered voters in the constituency of the Northern Grenadines in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, hereby submit our objection, individually and collectively, to the nomination of Dr. Godwin Elliot Lorraine Friday to be elected as the Representative for the constituency of the Northern Grenadines in the forthcoming general elections scheduled to be held on November 27, 2025.

Our objection rests on the firm factual and legal basis that Dr. Friday’s nomination as aforesaid offends Section 26 of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Constitutional Order, 1979 (hereinafter referred to as “the Constitution”), which states as follows:

“(1)No person shall be qualified to be elected or appointed as a Representative or “(1) Senator if he

(a) Is by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience, or adherence to a foreign power or state;”

Dr. Friday has admitted in Parliament, and outside of Parliament, that he is, and has been for some time now, a citizen of Canada which citizenship he acquired by virtue of his own act. He has also publicly stated that he has, as a consequence of his Canadian citizenship, a Canadian passport. On one occasion in Parliament, he boasted that he has his “Canadian passport proudly in his front pocket and his Vincentian passport in his back pocket.” Canada is a foreign power and a foreign state.

Dr. Friday has openly defended his alleged right to be elected as a Representative on the ground that he is a Commonwealth citizen twice over, having been born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and having voluntarily acquired Canadian citizenship, and is thus qualified to be elected as a Representative in accordance with Section 25(1)(a) of the Constitution. However, Dr. Friday’s contention has no proper legal basis since Section 25(2) of the Constitution makes it clear that Section 25 is to be read subject to the provisions of Section 26 of the Constitution. In short, one can be a Commonwealth citizen yet be disqualified to be elected as a Representative if that person “is by virtue of his own act, under an acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.” [Section 26).

It is well-known, too, that since the passage of Hurricane Beryl on July 1, 2024, Dr. Friday has entered Canada on his Canadian passport.

It is to be noted that the above constitutional provisions on “qualifications” and “disqualifications” to be elected as a Representative are repeated in Sections 35 and 36 of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 9 of the Laws of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

It is to be further noted that in the jurisdiction of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (Appellate Division) this constitutional issue of “qualifications” and “disqualifications” of a person to be elected as a Representative was authoritatively decided in March 2020 in the case of Attorney General of St. Kitts and Nevis vs Dr. Denzil Douglas (SKBHCVA2019/0007). Dr. Denzil Douglas, an elected member of Parliament in St. Kitts and Nevis had his election adjudged to be void and his seat in Parliament was declared immediately vacant. Dr. Douglas had obtained a diplomatic passport issued by the Commonwealth of Dominica, a member state of the Commonwealth. A copy of the Court of Appeal decision is enclosed.

It is true that Dr. Friday has been nominated as a candidate and elected as a Representative in the Northern Grenadines in the general elections of 2001, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. But repeated violations of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act in this regard do not in any way make what is wrong, right.

We invite the Returning Officer for the Northern Grenadines to scrutinize carefully “Form 3” in the Schedule to the House of Assembly Rules. This Form is the “Statutory Declaration of a Person Nominated for Election as a Member of the House of Assembly.”

In that Form at Item 4 it is clearly stated that: “I am duly qualified to be elected as a member of the House of Assembly for the constituency and that I am not by virtue of my own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state”. Dr Friday cannot truthfully so declare because he is a citizen of Canada “by virtue of his own act”; and by virtue of his Canadian citizenship and possession of a Canadian passport, he is under an acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence, to the foreign power and state known as Canada. This is absolutely pellucid. And Dr. Friday at each nomination since 2001 to 2020, has been making a false declaration, which, incidentally, is also a criminal offence.

On this occasion, we the undersigned are strenuously objecting to his nomination.

One practical consequence of permitting the nomination of Dr. Friday is that the voters would be denied a proper choice. For if indeed Dr. Friday is permitted to be nominated and he is elected, his election would be challenged by us in the High Court. His election would be declared void and his seat vacated, and the person with the next highest number of votes would be declared as the Representative for the constituency; there is no requirement for a by-election in such a case.

This letter is being made public to the registered voters of the Northern Grenadines and will be posted at prominent public places on or before Nomination Day, November 2025.

We are copying this letter to the Supervisor of Elections and the Honourable Atta General whose advice we feel sure that you would seek before proceeding wit! acceptance of any “nomination papers” from Dr. Friday.

Sincerely yours,