| MPs Dual Citizenship Debate Rages On |
By BBC Caribbean
August 7, 2007
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The St. Kitts and Nevis members of parliament who actively sought and obtained citizenship of foreign countries may be investigated for breaching the constitution which bans politicians from having allegiance to a foreign power or state.
The debate started with the query of how |
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| a Kittitain born senior opposition MP came to hold US citizenship but that debate has escalated to include MP's from both the ruling St Kitts Nevis Labour Party and opposition People's Action Movement. |
| St. Kitts Nevis former Attorney General and United Nations Ambassador Delano Bart told BBC Caribbean the constitution is very clear about the criteria on citizenship, which MP's must fulfil before they can be elected. |
| "If you are a citizen of another country but are also a citizen of St Kitts, one looks to see how you became a citizen of that country, for instance if your parents were born there, then that's a matter of the operation of law. What the law prohibits would be citizenship which was acquired as a consequence of your own acts, this is interpreted to mean that you swore allegiance to a foreign country, government and state", he said. |
| Former St Kitts Nevis governor and lawyer, Sir Probyn Innis considers the issue serious and one that cannot be brushed aside. |
| Call for an investigation |
| "One of the smaller parties, not represented in the legislature is making demands for either the resignation or for the Head of State to take action or alternatively for the Director of Public Prosecution to take action as is clearly indicated in the Constitution." |
| The matter has caught the public attention with some islanders airing their views on local radio. |
| One caller said he was concerned that "those politicians with dual citizenship may make decisions perhaps not intentionally, but with the thought in the back of their minds that if the worst comes they have a place to run to." |
| It's a debate also being waged in other islands like Grenada, and one not likely to run out of steam any time soon. |
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