Listen to Comments by Phillip Edward Alexander below:
By Prior Beharry
TRINIDAD and Tobago is in the midst of a constitutional crisis since there is currently no government in place.
This is the claim being made by political leader of the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) Phillip Edward Alexander speaking to AZP News on Thursday.
He said the Cabinet that runs the country must comprise a prime minister and an attorney general.
But, he said, under section 42 of the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago, Reginald Armour, SC, who took his oath of office on Wednesday was not properly sworn-in as attorney general since he has dual citizenship having been born in Dominica.
The Constitution states:
- 41. Subject to section 42, a person shall be qualified to be appointed as a Senator if, and shall not be qualified to be so appointed unless, he is a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago of the age of twenty-five years or upwards.
- (1) No person shall be qualified to be appointed as a Senator who— (a) is a citizen of a country other than Trinidad and Tobago having become such a citizen voluntarily or is under a declaration of allegiance to such a country;
Alexander said, “Mr Armour does himself a disservice. He is coming across like he is playing smart with foolishness. You cannot have dual citizenship. And enter the Senate.”
The issue of Armour’s dual citizenship was also raised by Opposition Senator Wade Mark at a press conference on Thursday.
But responding to the claims, Armour told AZP News that he was in compliance with the law when he took his oath of office as AG.
He said he was aware of questions raised surrounding his dual citizenship.
Armour said, “I am a proud citizen on T&T.
“I am also by birth a citizen of Dominica. I carry and use my T&T passport proudly. I do not possess nor use a Dominica passport.
“In this regard, I am satisfied that I took my oath of office yesterday (Wednesday) in compliance with the Constitution of T&T which I am sworn to uphold.”
Alexander said, “To say that he has a Trinidad passport and that he is proud to be a Trinidadian is not the point.
“He is also a Dominican and that’s the point. The Constitution Section 42 is extremely clear. He has to renounce his Dominica citizenship because right now Trinidad and Tobago has no Government.
“The Constitution requires an attorney general and a prime minister and we do not have an attorney general because he has dual citizenship which bars him from entering the Senate and taking up the post.”
He said this was a simple matter that could be fixed.
Alexander said, “We can’t continue and pretend that because you pay more attention to your Trinidad citizenship and not your Dominican citizenship that it’s not dual.
“That is literally trying to pull the wool over the nation’s eyes.”
