Former Minister of State Joseph Harmon on Thursday announced that he is no longer a citizen of the United States of America (USA).
Harmon, who resigned his ministerial portfolio following a court ruling that duel citizens were ineligible to sit in the National Assembly, explained to a post-Cabinet press briefing that with effect from July 31st, 2019, his US Citizenship had been revoked.
“Like anybody else, if I want to travel, [no] I have to apply for a VISA,” he said before joking that he was now “GT to the bone.”
The decision had been communicated to him on October 8th, one day after Stabroek News reported that he will be on the APNU+AFC list of candidates for the next election.
“I am excited because I want to continue to serve the people of this country. I believe that there is a certain quality which I have that can help the president in running this country in a proper way, and I believe that I have something to offer the people of Guyana,” Harmon had told this newspaper.
Both the High Court and the Court of Appeal have found that constitutional provisions make those who hold citizenship in another country ineligible for election to the National Assembly.The rulings were made in the proceedings related to the December 21st, 2018 vote on the confidence motion against the government and effectively required several members on both sides of the House to tender their resignations.
Specifically Article 155 (1) (a) of the Constitution provides that “No person shall be qualified for election as a member of the National Assembly who is, by virtue of his or her own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.”
Harmon was one of four government ministers who were affected by the ruling and were forced to resign from the House. The others were Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, who was Minister of Public Service, Dominic Gaskin, who was Business Minister, and Carl Greenidge, who was Foreign Affairs Minister.
Greenidge announced in October that he had renounced his UK citizenship and that he stands ready to serve the country.
