PNPYO tackles Hay-Webster - Wants green cards, dual citizens out of Parliament

The Member of parliament (MP) for South Central St Catherine, Sharon Hay-Webster, heads a list of parliamentarians who the president of the People's National Party Youth Organisation (PNPYO) wants removed because of their dual-citizenship status.

Damion Crawford told The Gleaner yesterday his organisa-tion's attention was focused on Hay-Webster being removed from Parliament because she continues to be a United States citizen.

The Constitution prohibits persons who, by their own act, have sworn allegiance or obe-dience to a foreign power from serving as a parliamentarian.

Hay-Webster was born in the United States and came to Jamaica as a child. It is unclear whether she applied for, renewed, or travelled on the US passport. The Court of Appeal has held that those acts amount to pledging of allegiance or obedience.

Although the People's National Party has initiated the dual-citizenship court battles that have landed four MPs, who are members of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), out of Parliament, its member, Hay-Webster, is clinging to her seat.

But it is not only Hay-Webster who he said should relinquish her seat. He said other MPs who are in breach should resign.

Gregory Mair, one of the five MPs who was booted by the court, has moved a motion in Parliament for Hay-Webster to be kicked out of the House.

At the same time, Ronald Thwaites, an opposition MP, has commenced debate on a motion to have all members of the House declare their citizenship status as well as say whether they are green card holders.

Meanwhile, the JLP's Donovan Hamilton is using the court to boot Hayles, who has confessed to having had a US passport. Hayles, however, says he renounced his US citizenship before nomination day and is therefore qualified to sit in Parliament.

Yesterday, Crawford claimed that 60 per cent of the 60 parliamentarians on both sides of the chamber are either green card holders or enjoy dual-citizenship status.

Give up privilege

"The PNPYO is, therefore, calling for not only the dual citizens remaining in Parliament to resign, but we are also calling on all holders of green cards to either give up that privilege, or equally, resign," the organisation said in a media release yesterday.

"We are calling on the requisite authorities to sue all persons found to be in our Parliament under false pretence for the illegitimate collection of salaries due to persons previously assumed to be honourable," the PNPYO said in a release.