Basseterre (January 28, 2010) - Re-elected People’s Action Movement (PAM) Parliamentarian, Shawn Richards of Constituency #5, has not declared any documents to prove that he is no longer a dual-citizen, placing doubt on his win at the poll, while PAM’s leader, Lindsay Grant, will also be challenged over the same issue for running in Constituency #4.
Richards stands to be challenged by Dr. Norgen Wilson, who ran against him in the recently held elections.
Section 28 of the Constitution in part states that “a person shall not be qualified to be elected or appointed as a member if he is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state”.
For several months now, Grant and Richards, have been under the microscope for holding dual citizenship and have been pressured to provide evidence of renunciation of their US citizenship. To date they have not done so.
Last year Parliament in St. Kitts/Nevis introduced the National Assembly (Amendment) Elections Bill 2009, which calls for candidates seeking political office to provide proof of the renunciation of dual-citizenship and the taking of an oath that one doesn’t hold dual-citizenship before nomination.
A person nominating a candidate for election is also required to take an oath or affirmation that to the best of his or her knowledge the candidate he or she has nominated does not possess dual citizenship.
The Bill also provides for a fine or imprisonment or both if information given is found to be false. Candidates who are found to be guilty of the criminal offence will also be barred from running for 5 years.
