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HOME	DECEMBER 17th, 2005

David: ‘This issue is about politics’

Opposition Member of Parliament for the Town of St. George, Peter David has accused the ruling New National Party (NNP) government of playing politics with the issue of his Canadian citizenship as an elected Member of Parliament.

David, a barrister-at-law by profession, launched a blistering attack on the Keith Mitchell-led New National Party (NNP) government at last Friday’s sitting of Parliament where a citizenship resolution was introduced by the administration for debate.

When the parliamentarian took the floor to make his contribution, he said that he had stood by quietly for months while his character was being tarnished and his dirty linen washed in public.

“This is not just an attempt to find out who has citizenship of a foreign country. This issue is about politics", he told the sitting that was attended mainly by rival supporters of government and the main opposition National Democratic Congress.

According to David, the government was trying to introduce the citizenship issue in order to try and deal with “those who speak out about mismanagement and the income tax”. “...It is about those who dream about a better Grenada", said David who is the General Secretary of the Congress party.

The Opposition M.P told the House that he has no difficulty with the government side coming after him, but he had to speak up since his brother and the Grenada Red Cross (GRC) was being dragged through the mud.

This is obvious reference to a pamphlet which surfaced in the country linking his brother and himself with GRC with bringing into the country a container which left the compound of the St. George’s Port and not being checked by the Customs Department.

David recalled that when the questioning of his citizenship began last month at a press conference conducted by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Attorney General, Elvin Nimrod, and Legal Advisor to Cabinet, Jamaican Hugh Wildman, they disclosed then that they had credible information he had Canadian citizenship.

He said: "Then why is he (Nimrod) here questioning, when he has the answer?" David also recalled that they had even declared his St. George seat as vacant and should be given to the defeated candidate, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister, Brenda Hood.

The M.P also made mention to statements made by Minister Nimrod at last month’s annual convention of the NNP when he told party supporters that it is either David steps down from Parliament or faced being “dragged down”.

“... There is no need for a by-election, the seat is null and void", David quoted Nimrod as telling NNP supporters. "Then why am I here? "Don't ask me no questions, I have no answer to give". "I have no problem going to court but the Cabinet did not make me MP for the Town of St George”, David told parliament.

According to Nimrod, the electoral law was seriously breached by David and the seat that he is now null and void and that Sen. Hood “will get what is rightfully hers”.

The Town of St George Parliamentarian said that no way in the Grenada Constitution it says that one must be a citizen of Grenada to contest general elections. He pointed out that it is clear that a person can qualify to run as a candidate as a Commonwealth citizen.

"The Attorney General and his assistant (Wildman) are ill-conceived in their conclusion. If the other side (government) only want clarification, then why don't they go to the Court and get a declaration," David said.

David who was born in Grenada assured the House that he is in fact as patriotic as any other Grenadian citizen, adding that the Mitchell government only brought the resolution to Parliament as part of a scheme to try and takeover the seat.

In response, Foreign Minister Nimrod indicated that the motion is a very simple one aimed at finding out if there members of Parliament who are not qualified to sit in the house.