DUAL CITIZENSHIP AND POLITICAL OFFICE - PART THREE
Dr. Albert Williams
The dual citizenship and political office discussion continues. What are people thinking? After looking at all the points of view provided over the past several weeks, here is my updated view regarding this key issue.
Pulse of Belizeans Living Abroad
First, I am certain that most Belizeans living abroad, regardless of race, will support this amendment. In fact, the National Assembly and the Prime Minister’s Office are flooded with emails from these Belizeans showing their support. This is not surprising.
Pulse of Belizeans Living in Belize
Now, what do the Belizeans at home think about this amendment? The government consultations have attracted mostly those who opposed the amendment. This is not surprising, as with most issues anywhere in the world, mostly those who oppose tend to show up. This is NOT a good measure of what the Belizean people are thinking. A scientific (unbiased) poll needs to be done to get a ‘pulse’ of what Belizeans living in Belize are truly thinking.
Opposition to the amendment is presently being raised by several distinguished Belizeans. Our former Prime Minister, Dr. Manuel Esquivel, stated on Channel 7 that he does not support dual citizenship and political office. However, he acknowledges the huge sacrifice it would be to give up one’s US citizenship. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. John Briceno, has opposed the amendment, but acknowledges the HUGE contributions that Belizeans abroad make to the development of Belize. This is a natural response, considering that his government put in the amendment to exclude Belizeans with dual citizenship from political office.
Overall, the UDP government supports the amendment. Also, there ARE members of the PUP who DO support the proposed amendment.
The real issue is if the majority of Belizeans living in Belize support the amendment or not. The government and many Belizeans are promoting their positions on this issue. Of course, the more letters and emails sent to the PM’s Office and the National Assembly, the more confident the government will be to support the amendment. So if you support this amendment to allow dual citizenship to hold political office, please voice your opinion with your Representatives or send it to the PM’s Office in Belmopan or the National Assembly in Belmopan.
Why Support this Amendment?
If you stop Belizeans on the streets of Punta Gorda, San Ignacio, Orange Walk, and Belize City and ask them if they support the amendment to allow people with dual citizenship to take political office, the likely response is “no” or “I do not know.” Some will probably say ‘yes.’ This is NOT surprising because many of them have not fully digested the facts and implications of this amendment. Hopefully these articles will assist.
I spoke to a highly respected, distinguished, and wise family member in Punta Gorda and this is what he shared. He said that there are positives and negatives regarding this amendment. He is concerned about the motive of the amendment and is hoping that it is for the betterment of Belize. He further asked, “What MORE will a Belizean with dual citizenship bring to the National Assembly?” Does he have superior skills and experience in a field that would make him a better Minister of Works? In other words, what increased value will he add to improve the lives of all Belizeans? Will he/she just create competition for local political candidates? At the end of the day, he said that it depends on the type of person that is running. Can you be confidence that this person is trustworthy and will represent you honestly?
Also, he believes that the one-year residence requirement is vital for local Belizeans to get to know the candidate. In one year, the people of his constituency will have a very good idea if they want this person to represent them. He also stated that there are hundreds of thousands of Belizeans living overseas but only a small selection of them would be nominated to run for political office. He also said that the Belizean people have matured politically and will not support an incompetent person, regardless of single or dual citizenship. He also stated that he would not mind the amendment for dual citizenship for political positions EXCEPT for the position of Prime Minister. He believes that the PM’s position MUST be a born Belizean – non-negotiable. He stated that the US has this requirement so we in Belize must also have this requirement. You will agree that this family member is wise and is asking the right questions. He has typical concerns of most Belizeans living in Belize. Thanks so much!
Here are some reasons why I think that this amendment is the right thing to do. I will also address many of the concerns listed above.
1) This is a right of ALL Belizeans, especially those who were born in Belize, to hold political office. Of course, the same exceptions, sound mind, and no criminal record, etc, apply. Belizeans with dual citizenship, especially those who were born in Belize, should NOT be excluded from the political process. This amendment will give them the right to hold political office. Having dual citizenship, primarily for economic reasons, should not take away their right to political office. Many Belizeans feel that this is enough reason to make the amendment.
2) Even though political positions are open to all Belizeans, only a handful of local people compete for these positions. Likewise, if this amendment is passed, you will NOT see a flood of Belizeans living abroad returning home to run for politics. Hence, there is no need to fear a takeover by Belizeans with dual citizenship. This is very unlikely to happen. The ones that return truly want to serve.
3) If the amendment were to be made, Belizeans living at home will still have FULL control to determine if a Belizean with dual citizenship will win in their constituency. The Belizean with dual citizenship must convince the local Belizeans that he/she will be a superb candidate, just like what the other local candidates must do. Local Belizeans are smart and will NOT support someone from abroad if he or she is not an excellent candidate. Hence, there should not be any fear of foreign dominance due to this amendment. Belizeans living in Belize have full control to decide if a person with dual citizenship will win a seat or not.
4) The political leadership of Belize could be improved with a few new faces in government. These Belizeans with dual citizenship should be able to bring to the table an expanded point of view that hopefully will improve decision-making and create more value for the Belizean people. This point implies that these dual citizenship Belizeans will have a wider range of experience and possibly training that can be harnessed. Hence, improved leadership is possible. With so many Belizeans living abroad, there are thousands of extremely competent and experience ones that can provide a lot to the political process. Out of these thousands, there are some who would consider serving in political capacities and would make great candidates.
5) This dual citizenship issue is a challenging issue for many countries. St. Kitts is having an issue right now with the leader of the opposition having dual citizenship. We in Belize could provide the region with a higher level of political maturity by allowing our own Belizean with dual citizenship to hold political office. These other Caribbean countries could benefit from our example and amend their constitutions accordingly.
6) As stated in an earlier article, these Belizeans with dual citizenships have networks that can be utilized to attract foreign capital to develop more businesses and hire more Belizeans.
Other Comments
1) I believe that representatives and ministers should be able to keep their dual citizenship. For example, having a U.S. citizenship with all the benefits that one has earned is very difficult to give up. It is very hard to get it the first place. It is one of the most demanded citizenship in the world. A person who left the U.S. to run for political office in Belize has to have in his or her heart the interest of ‘Belize first.’ Belizeans can determine easily if this person is genuine about serving Belize first.
2) I also agree that the Prime Minister of Belize should be born in Belize and should only have ONE citizenship - Belizean citizenship. He/she could have obtained another citizenship but has to give up that second one to become PM. Hence, this clause should be incorporated in the amendment. (The question is when he/her should give up the other citizenship to become PM. Should it be BEFORE or AFTER he/she has won? I feel it should be AFTER he has won. Why? This person is giving up his/her life in the other country for a chance to become PM. (This is a huge sacrifice.) If his/her political party supports his bid for PM after he wins his constituency, then he/she MUST then give up the other citizenship before he/she takes the highest office in Belize. )
3) How do children from Belizean parents living abroad fit into this amendment? For example, children born to American Belizeans are Americans by birth. (I encourage Belizean parents to apply for Belizean citizenship for these children.) Also, if one of these children wants to run for political office, he has to get Belizean citizenship and has to satisfy all the other requirements. However, if the amendment has a condition that the PM must be born in Belize, then he will NEVER be able to become the PM of Belize. This should not be an issue.
4) We have a large number of American, Chinese and Central American immigrants now living in Belize. They all have dual citizenships. I believe that they can run for political office without giving up their dual citizenship, if they do NOT come from countries that do not recognize the sovereignty of Belize. However, they can NEVER become PM. However, their children born in Belize CAN run for any political office AND can become the PM.
5) I do not believe that Belizeans who have dual citizenship are not patriotic to Belize. They LOVE Belize! Living overseas does NOT imply that you are not patriotic. It is from your total actions that we can determine if you are patriotic or not. For example, a Belizean went overseas and created a new life. He speaks only negative things about Belize. He does not support anything in Belize. He does not want to return and when he returns he complains about everything. He would never pick up a sign and demonstrate on behalf of Belize. Here you have evidence of an unpatriotic Belizean living overseas. Now take another Belizean American who tells everyone with pride that he came from Belize and encourages people to visit Belize. Next, he reads Belize news everyday! When there is a hurricane in Belize, he goes out and gathers can goods, water, and other items to include in a container to be shipped to Belize. He returns home and builds a house. He invests in Belize. He tries to influence political decisions. He speaks to ministers of government and encourages them to serve the people of Belize with integrity. You will agree that this is a patriotic Belizean. Yet he lives overseas. Please be aware that you can live in Belize and not be patriotic. Hence, having dual citizenship does NOT necessarily make you unpatriotic to Belize.
6) The issue of serving two countries (masters) is of some concern. Can you serve two countries? The answer is yes. People do this all the time. Some people have two jobs, implying two bosses. Some have a boss at home and another at work! The issue of allegiance is still a major concern. When you pledge allegiance to a country like the US you are, in theory, giving up your first citizenship. However, this has never been a big issue. There are many examples of Americans returning to their native countries and serving in political positions. The point here is that many countries do allow their citizens with dual citizenships to run for political office (Nigeria, Dominican Republic, and Guyana, etc.)
7) What will this amendment do for Belize in the next 5 years? 25 years? 100 years? This amendment will allow Belizeans or people with Belizean heritage to be able to return to Belize and participate in the political process. This will add ‘new blood’ to the development of Belize. It will increase the rate of development for the betterment of all Belizeans.
Conclusion
With all the discussions, I believe that this amendment will provide more good than bad. However, there has to be some exception clauses to ensure that there is no abuse and to ensure the PM is a born Belizean with ONE citizenship. I encourage you to support this amendment and sent a note to the PM’s Office or the National Assembly in Belmopan. If you meet members of the government, formally or informally, please tell them how you think about this issue. Thanks for getting involved for the betterment of Belize!