Rick Lowe
Well reports are the Election Court has ruled that all five votes in question have been granted to Ryan Pinder and he is now the MP Elect for the Elizabeth Constituency.
First of all congratulations to Mr. Pinder and commiserations to Dr. Sands.
It's been an interesting few months.
First Mr. Malcolm Adderley, the former PLP MP resigned because of differences of opinion with the PLP leadership, so a bye-election had to take place.
And now after thousands of dollars and accusations from the political leadership on both sides the vote count is settled.
Now the question of Mr. Pinder's citizenship and if he was within the terms of the Constitution is still left unanswered.
Will the FNM pursue that or will they just move on? Initial indications in the press are they will wait until 2012 for the next General Elections.
Mr. Pinder has said he campaigned on privatising government services,
downsizing the government, making the civil service work, fixing
education, reducing the country's debt levels etc? Things that seem to be anathema to the PLP. Mind even the governing FNM do not seem to walk the talk where some of these things are concerned.
Will Mr. Pinder make an impact on the PLP and the country? I don't know but I wish him luck, our country needs it.
As for the PLP? Well…I think he will have to tow the party line.
Yes Rick, as they all seem to do, it will be the party line or resign, just like Mr.Adderley.That it why we will never, ever change for the better.Sorry, I just feel that its over.Like they say, “Mouth can say anything” !
Re Ryan Pinder’s citizenship: how come it was never a problem for Pierre Dupuch who also has US citizenship & who stood for election & served in Cabinet? Has he renounced his US standing? Does it really matter?
If the Constitution matters it matters.
On Mr. Dupuch: He was/is not a US Citizen. When he was born, he could have claimed it when he was 18 as a result his mother, but he never did.
So true
If you were born in America, you are a citizen of the United States.. If you do not want to be an American citizen you may renounce it.. Upon United States government’s approval, your US passport,upon presentation to the American Embassy,is stamped that “bearer renounced his/her U.S. citizenship on month/date/year at Nassau, Bahamas”.. Your date of renouncement is the date stamped in your “dead passport” and not the date of your notice of intent.. Perhaps the are questions still to be answered..
This citizenship matter is really a critical one. There is no problem with a dual citizen being elected to the HOA, unless he had taken advantage of that other citizenship. He therefore has allegiance
to that foreign state. The renunciation must be approved before nominates. This issue is still not resolved.