Director General at the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, has announced that his US citizenship has been officially being renounced, a move which paves the way for him to continue his political career in Guyana.
Harmon, who was the former Minister of State was one of the four Government Parliamentarians who had to resign from the National Assembly and as Ministers in Government because of their dual citizenship status.
Their resignations came on the heels of Court rulings earlier this year barring persons with dual citizenship from sitting in the National Assembly. But on Thursday, during a post cabinet press briefing, Harmon when questioned about his dual citizenship status confirmed that he was no longer a US citizen.
The issue of dual citizenship arose late last year when former coalition MP, Charrandas Persaud, who also held a second citizenship, crossed over and voted in favour of an Opposition-tabled No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against the APNU/AFC Government, causing its defeat.
The validity of Persaud’s vote was challenged in the court by Government supporter, Compton Reid, and the High Court, whose ruling was subsequently upheld in the Appeal Court, found that while persons with dual citizenship cannot sit in the National Assembly, the former MP’s vote on the NCM was valid since he was a valid parliamentarian.
Three Opposition Members of Parliament also had to give up their seats in the House.
