The High Court of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has resumed hearings in a pivotal election petition testing the constitutional qualifications required for parliamentary office.
The petitions—brought by electoral challengers including Luke Browne and Carlos Williams seek to disqualify Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday and Minister Fitz Bramble (Dwight Bramble) on the grounds of their dual Canadian citizenship.
At the center of the dispute is whether voluntarily acquiring foreign citizenship, taking a foreign oath of allegiance, and retaining a foreign passport trigger disqualification under Section 26(1)(a) of the SVG Constitution and Section 35 of the Representation of the People Act (RPA).
The legal battle is occurring alongside political developments in Parliament, where the government has placed two Bills on the Order Paper proposing retroactive amendments to Section 26 and the RPA to explicitly exempt Commonwealth citizens.
Cross-Examination Highlights From Tuesday
Under cross-examination by Senior Counsel Stuart Young, Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday addressed his naturalization, sworn allegiances, and legislative actions:
Naturalization & Oath: Dr. Friday confirmed that he voluntarily applied for and obtained Canadian citizenship through naturalization as an adult in 1988. He acknowledged taking the Canadian Oath of Citizenship, swearing true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and agreeing to observe the laws of Canada.
Passport Usage & Privileges: Dr. Friday admitted to obtaining and renewing a Canadian passport for travel convenience to Canada and the United States without visa requirements, as well as acknowledging that holding the passport affords him consular protection from the Canadian government abroad.
Allegiance & Renunciation: While affirming that his “first allegiance is to SVG,” Dr. Friday agreed that taking the Canadian oath implied an allegiance to Canada. He admitted he has never renounced his Canadian citizenship, maintaining that dual citizenship does not legally disqualify him from sitting in Parliament.
Retroactive Legislation: Dr. Friday acknowledged laying two Bills in Parliament in his name seeking to retroactively amend Section 26 of the Constitution to exclude Commonwealth countries from disqualification provisions.
Senior Counsel Stuart Young also cross-examined MP Dwight Bramble regarding his background, nomination, and passport retention:
Acquisition of Citizenship: Bramble testified that he voluntarily acquired Canadian citizenship through naturalization in 2017 after previously holding permanent resident status. Shortly thereafter, he obtained a Canadian passport.
Return to Politics & Non-Renunciation: Bramble confirmed that two years after obtaining Canadian citizenship, he returned to SVG to contest the election for the New Democratic Party (NDP). He stated that he never sought to renounce his Canadian citizenship because he believed election regulations did not require him to do so.
Travel Rationale & Formal Responses: Bramble explained that he holds his Canadian passport primarily to facilitate ease of travel into the United States. He verified signing a formal response on November 10, 2025, to the Returning Officer for East Kingstown regarding objections to his nomination.
Awareness of Parliamentary Bills: Bramble confirmed receiving and reviewing copies of the proposed Bills laid in Parliament aimed at amending Section 26 of the Constitution and Section 35 of the RPA.
The case continues today.
St. Vincent Times
Source: Village Voice News
