Vincentian Prime Minister Godwin Friday dismissed new legal challenges to his government's election win. Two opposition ULP candidates, Carlos Williams and Luke Browne, filed petitions claiming that Friday and Foreign Minister Fitz Bramble were ineligible to run due to holding Canadian citizenship. The governing New Democratic Party leader brushed off the lawsuits, referencing the recent holiday season and a popular discount shopping day. He stated the people had given his party an overwhelming mandate in the recent polls.
The petitions argue that by acquiring Canadian citizenship as adults, the officials pledged allegiance to a foreign power, violating the Constitution. Friday and Bramble counter that the nation's founding document has special rules for Commonwealth citizens, allowing them to serve. The New Democratic Party secured fourteen out of fifteen parliamentary seats, ending over two decades of ULP rule. Prime Minister Friday made his comments to reporters during a historic VAT-free shopping day, a campaign promise meant to address high living costs. He suggested the legal move would not spoil the public's holiday spirit.
The petitions argue that by acquiring Canadian citizenship as adults, the officials pledged allegiance to a foreign power, violating the Constitution. Friday and Bramble counter that the nation's founding document has special rules for Commonwealth citizens, allowing them to serve. The New Democratic Party secured fourteen out of fifteen parliamentary seats, ending over two decades of ULP rule. Prime Minister Friday made his comments to reporters during a historic VAT-free shopping day, a campaign promise meant to address high living costs. He suggested the legal move would not spoil the public's holiday spirit.
