Constitutional amendment to allow dual citizens in govt office
The government intends to introduce several controversial amendments to the constitution this coming Friday in the House of Representatives. One of the changes intends to replace the highest court, the Privy Council in London, with the Caribbean Court of Justice. While that particular amendment will have long reaching effects over the future of the judicial system, the proposed amendment that is causing a commotion amongst citizens countrywide is one that would allow the appointment of any person with dual citizenship to the National Assembly. Attorney Eamon Courtenay says removing dual citizenship disqualification for membership in the House of Representatives or the Senate, could open up Pandora’s Box by allowing the opportunity for Guatemalans as well as those individuals who bought passports under the economic citizenship scheme to attain an important national office.
Eamon Courtenay, Attorney
“It would allow a person who holds the citizenship of Belize as well as the citizenship of another country to stand for election and be elected to the House of Representatives and I suppose to be appointed a Senator if the Prime Minister of a political party chose to do that. First of all with these things you would actually want to see the text. But it seems to me that there are a lot of difficulties with the proposition. First of all, you have the situation of Guatemalans and Guatemala still maintains an unfounded claim on Belize. I am not so sure that Belizeans will want a situation where someone who is a Guatemalan and a Belizean at the same time sitting in our National Assembly and making decisions for Belize. I think that is a matter that has to be dealt with. I think there is a wider issue however, and that is of economic citizens. There are thousands of people who bought Belizean passports. People from the Middle East, people from Asia, people from South America, North America, Russia. A lot of people are of questionable character and integrity, who are running around the world with Belizean passports. Are we saying it is okay for them, if they decide to migrate to Belize, for them to become members of the National Assembly? I think we also have to address the question of those economic citizens of Belize and whether we would want them to be members of our parliament.”
Jose Sanchez
“Some members of the public believe that this can be passed within one day, during tomorrow’s sitting. Is it possible?”
Eamon Courtenay
“No it is not possible because this particular section of the constitution comes under what is called part seven. And part seven requires a ninety day period between the introduction of the bill and the second reading of the bill. so it will be introduced tomorrow and we have to wait ninety days for there to be a public discussion and consultation. My preference is that we stick to where we are now. Belizeans are the persons who should serve in our National Assembly. And anyone who wants to serve in our National Assembly should renounce allegiance to any other country.”
