Gail Teixeira prepared to give up Canadian citizenship

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo Friday announced that Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira is prepared to give up her Canadian citizenship in order to continue to function as a Member of Parliament.

This follows Thursday’s declaration by the Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire that someone who holds dual citizenship cannot be elected to the National Assembly.

The ruling has implications for the continued presence of all Members of Parliament who have dual citizenship.

Importantly, two government ministers, namely Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge hold dual citizenship and sit as elected Members of Parliament.

In their case, they must be qualified to sit in the House in order to continue in office.

Neither ministers have announced if they will renounce their foreign citizenship in order to continue to sit in the House and function as Ministers.