By Candia Dames ~ Guardian News Editor ~ candia@nasguard.com:
As far as Ryan Pinder sees it, the matter of his U.S. citizenship — which he announced he has renounced — is a non-issue.
But when the Elizabeth Election Court challenge commences, the Free National Movement plans to raise the question of whether he was in fact qualified in the first place to run as a candidate in the recent poll.
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, who leads the FNM, confirmed this intention at a press conference at the party's headquarters yesterday.
"When we go to court we will have Duane Sands' passport; we'll say he's a Bahamian," Ingraham said. "We'll say he has never held any other citizenship at any other time. And we will call upon them to show Mr. Ryan Pinder's American passport, to show us where it was marked canceled by the Americans before the nomination day."
The Progressive Liberal Party has announced its intention to go to court for the court to decide on five protest votes cast in Pinder's favor during last week's by-election in Elizabeth. At the end of the recount early Friday, Sands was ahead by two votes and during yesterday's press conference was repeatedly referred to as the member of Parliament-elect for Elizabeth.
No winner has been certified, however, as the protest votes could still impact the outcome of the race, should the court rule them to be valid.
The prime minister said yesterday it is very important for the process for the court to know upfront that each person who is before it is qualified to be there.
"There's nothing wrong with him (Pinder) or anybody else being a citizen and running for office," Ingraham explained. "Just being a citizen is not an offense by itself because any of our children could be born in America and grow up in The Bahamas, and live here and never take advantage of their American citizenship. That would not disqualify them from running for office."
But the prime minister said someone who takes advantage of his American citizenship — by voting, working and benefiting from special university rates — is a different story altogether.
"If you've done that, then you need to get rid of that citizenship before you nominate and certainly before you are elected," he said.
"But if you didn't do that before you nominated then your nomination is a nullity, null and void, of no use. And that certainly will be a preliminary point that the FNM side will put forward to Mr. Ryan Pinder."
During the campaign for Elizabeth, Pinder repeatedly faced questions about his dual citizenship. One week before the election, he announced that he renounced his U.S. citizenship, but insisted it had nothing to do with politics.
At a Free National Movement rally the night before the election, the issue was again raised, this time by Mount Moriah MP and National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest, who pointed out to the nation that Pinder never voted in an election in The Bahamas.
"In fact, Leo Ryan Pinder only registered in The Bahamas for the very first time in his life in October 2008," Turnquest said.
"He has never voted in The Bahamas before; not in 1997 when he was 22 years old; not in 2002, nor in 2007. He is now 35 years old and he has never voted in The Bahamas. He has only voted where he is a citizen and where he was interested in the affairs of that country. He has only voted in the USA and never in The Bahamas. Is this someone you want to try Elizabeth?"
Pinder told The Nassau Guardian last week Monday that the reason why his name still appears on the U.S. voter register is that that register is only updated during election time.
"My U.S. citizenship is not an issue and renunciation is not an issue in this campaign," Pinder said. "I am focused on the good people of Elizabeth, addressing their issues and concerns as the representative and I will not be brought down into the personal attacks that the Free National Movement has found themselves involved in."
Februray 22, 2010
thenassauguardian
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
