Feb 04, 2020 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon
My meeting with Lenox Shuman, Leader of the Liberty and Justice Party
Lenox Shuman
I was greeted by a lovely Amerindian woman with a winning smile (I hope that smile brings Lenox Shuman votes) who left the room so I could dialogue with Shuman. The time was 2PM yesterday – (February 03, 2020.
Neatly dressed with a casual ambience, in American politics, the media would refer to the good-looks of Shuman, the leader of the Liberty and Justice Party, which has Amerindian support.
Shuman is quietly spoken for a man who wants to play a huge part in Guyana’s constitutional future.
The first point was his disgust at the nasty conspiracies that are being hatched against him. He said to me; “Freddie, I came back to Guyana for the love of country, renounced my Canadian citizenship and this is what is happening to me?”
I intercepted; “Come on maan, don’t be naïve. You had to know this would have happened. You must have known what Guyana is like?” to which he replied, “Yes I know, but I never thought it would be so dirty, so terrible, so poisonous.”
Shuman is covered with both rage and disappointment at Bibi Shadick representing the PPP in GECOM and Vincent Alexander on behalf of the PNC. He said they both told the media that he was removed as presidential candidate for his party – the Liberty and Justice Party – from the list.
Shuman said nothing could be further from the truth.
He moved towards the edge of the sofa, his voice rising, his eyes piercing and said, “Freddie GECOM has not removed me as presidential candidate. I am the presidential candidate; I have not received any information from GECOM that I have been removed.”
He went on to explain that his party’s delegation met with Justice Singh, the Chairperson of GECOM who indicated to him GECOM has not removed him. He said Justice Singh told him that GECOM is merely writing for information.
I asked him pointedly whether he has relinquished his citizenship. He boldly responded with a monosyllabic answer – yes.
It was time to probe Shuman’s mind to see if it contained analytical stretch. After telling him that I find Bibi Shadick to be one of the most unacceptable persons I ever met and the most unacceptable politician I ever known in Guyana, I enquired, “So why you think Shadick and Alexander did that to you?”
He said, “They know I am a threat.” He continued, “Freddie, the LJP will win seats, Amerindians will not vote for the PPP and the Coalition.”
I then revealed what I know. I conveyed to him information, which I have from reliable sources that four recent polls – two by the PPP and two by the PNC – revealed that both leviathans are not over the 50 percent mark and it is worrying both of them.
I indicated the surveys were done by professional people who are not aligned to any organisation in Guyana and they were done by people who reside overseas.
It makes sense for the PPP and PNC to have these professional surveys because it gives them a factual picture on what obtains on the ground. With that kind of information, it aids them in their campaigns.
I left Shuman wishing him well and my parting advice was that more nastiness will come and he should just ignore it and continue with his campaign.
I suspect that both ANUG and Change Guyana may be aware of these recent surveys and this explains why the rejection of merging because each feels that they will win seats to create a minority government.
Was Shuman specifically targeted by both PNC and PPP? Here is my take on the current standing of the two goliaths.
The key to winning a minority government or a parliamentary majority lies with the Amerindian vote. The PPP is going to get their traditional Indian ballots with a percentage of mixed race and Amerindians.
The identical picture exists in the PNC except you have to change Indian ballots to African votes. The key to reaching 49 percent or fifty-one percent for both the PPP and PNC is for Amerindians and the youth vote to come over in overwhelming numbers. I don’t see that happening.
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Shuman challenges GECOM to take him to court to prove citizenship
Posted by: Denis Chabrol in Demerara Waves – February 2, 2020
The leader of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Lenox Shuman says by his actions, his candidacy is constitutional, and if the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) thinks otherwise, that elections management agency should go to the High Court for an order to remove him as a candidate.
Attorney-at-Law Kalam Yassin told the GECOM Chairman, Claudette Singh, that if GECOM feels that Mr Shuman is not qualified, his client does not have to do anything else. Instead, the lawyer says it is for GECOM to go the High Court and seek an order in keeping with the constitution.
“If the Guyana Elections Commission should feel that Mr Shuman is not qualified then the onus of proof is on the Commission. This is a case where the onus of proof has shifted to the Guyana Elections Commission and Mr Shuman does not have to do anything else,” Yassin told Singh.
Yassin, a former chief magistrate, stresses that there is no law or regulation that require Mr Shuman to do more than what he has done. He contends that GECOM will have to approach the High Court under Article 163 (1) (a).
Yassin argues that “there is no just, proper and legal reason” for GECOM not to include Shuman’s name on his LJP list of candidates as he has completed the irrevocable action to relinquish any allegiance, obedience or adherence to Canada.
Shuman, through his lawyer, has told the GECOM Chairman that before January 10 – Nomination Day – by his action, he had publicly stated that he was not a dual citizen and considered himself to be a citizen of Guyana.
Further, Mr Yassin says his client had on December 11, 2019, requested a renunciation of his Canadian citizenship to the Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana. The lawyer told the GECOM Chairman that Mr Shuman’s filing of the same document indicated his state of mind that he was formally renouncing his Canadian Citizenship and in so doing renouncing any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to Canada, which he may have previously done.
Mr Yassin informed the GECOM Chairman that Mr Shuman on January 29 met with the Canadian High Commissioner who told him that he is no longer a Canadian citizen. “My client had a meeting yesterday with the High Commission of Canada Mrs. Lilian Chatterjee and she affirmed that the renunciation of my client’s Canadian Citizenship on the 11th December, 2019 stands. She also assured my client that his renunciation of Citizenship was completed,” Shuman’s lawyer said.
The lawyer says the LJP leader wants to know whether Joseph Harmon,Volda Lawrence and Carl Greenidge, were asked to submit evidence in writing to GECOM, as to their relinquishment of their dual citizenship.
Harmon and Greenidge have publicly stated that they have successfully given up their American and British citizenships. Lawrence is not known to be a dual citizen.
GECOM should find ways to solve this issue pragmatically and fair to all genuine candidates. The country cannot afford going into an election with such fight. In my humble opinion, any candidate who has renounced dual citizenship has to be able to provide the evidence, latest when he or she takes seat in the new parliament provided they get elected in the first place. After this election has taken place, the rules have to be clearly communicated well in advance of any upcoming election.