Kingstown, St. Vincent, April 15, 2026-Senator Jamalie John has confirmed that Parliament will debate amendments on April 21 to address what he describes as “ambiguity” in the Constitution regarding foreign allegiance and eligibility for elected office.
Speaking on Hot FM, John stressed that the proposed changes are not rumors, noting that the Order Paper has already been circulated. He acknowledged that the Opposition will object, arguing their political mission to challenge the seats of Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday and Foreign Minister Dwight Bramble.
John explained that the amendment seeks to clarify the meaning of “foreign power or state,” emphasizing that under the proposed definition, Commonwealth citizens would not be considered foreign. “If I’m born in any of the Commonwealth countries, I would still qualify. ” My allegiance would still pertain to St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” he said.
He pointed to similar cases in other jurisdictions, including St. Kitts, but highlighted that SVG’s Constitution differs, particularly in its treatment of Commonwealth citizenship. “They have lifted the interpretation out of that St. Kitts case to apply it to St. Vincent, when in fact the Constitutions are not the same,” John argued.
The St. Kitts case against former Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas centered on his possession of a Dominican diplomatic passport, which the High Court ruled amounted to allegiance to a foreign power and disqualified him from serving as a Member of Parliament.
The Senator said that the amendment does not erase the ongoing High Court petitions. “Even if that provision is there, the court still has to make a determination as to whether or not the amendment will be applied retroactively,” he said.
Presenting the debate as a matter of legislative responsibility, John concluded, “If there is ambiguity, who better to clarify that? Should we leave that for our judges, or should the Parliament be the one to clarify?”
On the Order Paper for the April 21 sitting, lawmakers are scheduled to consider bills amending both the 1979 Constitution and the Representation of the People Act. The High Court has already set July 28-30 for hearings into petitions questioning the elections of Prime Minister Dr Godwin Friday and East Kingstown MP Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble. Petitioners argue that their Canadian citizenship, voluntarily acquired, amounts to allegiance to a foreign power and therefore disqualifies them from holding seats in the House of Assembly.