by STAFF WRITER
Sir Louis Straker
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, Oct 5, CMC – An attorney for an unsuccessful opposition politician has written to Deputy Prime Minister, Sir Louis Straker, giving him seven days to resign or prove that he has renounced his United States citizenship.
Attorney Kay Bacchus-Baptiste, says she is part of a team of local and overseas lawyers acting on behalf of Ben Exeter and other people who are entitled to vote in the Central Leeward elections.
Sir Louis Straker
“I am instructed that you are in breach of S26(1) of The Constitution and S35(1)(a) of the Representation of the People Act in that you, by virtue of your own act are under acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power namely the U.S.A.,” Bacchus-Baptiste wrote in the September 30 letter that was delivered to Sir Louis on Tuesday.
“My clients have instructed me to request your resignation within seven days of today’s date or produce proof of the date of any renunciation of your U.S. citizenship, failing which a High Court action will be commenced to hear and determine the question of whether you have been validly elected as a representative for the constituency of Central Leeward.”
Straker, 74, was elected Member of Parliament for Central Leeward from 1994 to 2010, when he quit politics.
He returned to contest the seat on behalf of the ruling United Labour Party (ULP) that won the December 2015 general elections by a one seat margin.
Sir Louis defeated Exeter, who contested the seat on behalf of the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) that is contesting the results of the elections in Central Leeward and North Windward constituencies.
Opposition supporters have been calling on Sir Louis to publicly show evidence that he does not have US citizenship and in her letter, Bacchus-Baptiste wrote “”this is a very public issue since you have and are still being paid by the people as a validly elected Minister of Parliament.
“We anticipate your prudent and responsible action. The constituency of Central Leeward rightfully demands to know this.”
The issue of Sir Louis’s US citizenship was also raised during a town hall meeting held in New York last month and attended by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.
Gonsalves told the meeting that he happens to know that his Foreign Affairs Minister is not a United States citizen.
