Dear Editor,
The recent revelations regarding Minister Susan Rodrigues’ international property acquisitions and the persistent, unanswered questions regarding the dual-citizenship status of several Government ministers have brought Guyana to a constitutional crossroads. We are wit-nessing a dangerous “double-standard” diplomacy: the PPP/C administration happily accepts the “foreign” investments of its ministers while simultaneously using the “you don’t live here” retort to silence the legitimate criticisms of the Guyanese diaspora.
This is a stark paradox of priorities, “while the Govt have expended extensive funds and efforts in courting diaspora and foreign investors, it is facilitating and defending capital flight”. This is quite a compromising conundrum and an indictment on Pres. Ali’s rule, with his inner—circle signaling no—confidence in Guyana’s trajectory.
Article 155 (1) (a) of our Constitution is not a suggestion; it is a mandate. It explicitly forbids anyone under an “acknowledgement of allegiance” to a foreign power from sitting in the National Assembly. Following the 2019 CCJ rulings, there is no longer any “gray area.” If a Minister holds a foreign passport, they are in active violation of the supreme law of the land. To remain in office under these circumstances is not public service—it is constitutional squatting.
The current leadership would do well to remember the words of Dr. Cheddi Jagan, who viewed the integrity of public office as a sacred trust, not a personal enrichment scheme. Dr. Jagan famously stated: “Corruption is eating, like cancer, into the sinews of our society… The disease calls for a drastic cure.” And in furtherance of his ideology let’s be reminded: “President Cheddi stood firm in his belief that corruption, nepotism, and sheer greed in governance are the worst acts of criminality facing the Guyanese people.”
One must ask: Would the man who lived a life of “lean and clean” govern-ment tolerate a Minister whose financial interests are increasingly anchored in foreign soil while Guyanese at home struggle with the cost of living? Dr. Jagan would not have silenced critics with petty “residency” arguments; he would have demanded an immediate investigation and the resignation of anyone whose loyalties were divided by a foreign oath.
Editor, in the furtherance of public interest: We, the citizens of Guyana, hereby demand:
Full Disclosure: All Ministers and Members of Parliament must immediately lay their proof of citizenship—and any renunciations of foreign citizenship—before the public.
Audit of Interests: A transparent investigation into the international “investments” of all sitting Ministers to ensure no conflict of interest exists between their private wealth and national sovereignty.
End the Rhetoric: An immediate cessation of the “you don’t live here” defense used to bypass accountability.
Failure to provide this proof is a confession of an obstructionist agenda. We will not be governed by those who treat our Constitution as an obstacle to be bypassed. If you cannot prove your singular allegiance to the Golden Arrow-head, you are a squatter in our hallowed halls, and it is time to vacate.