Schakron's dual citizenship disqualifies her from contesting Lake I
Yolanda Shackron’s nomination as a candidate for Lake Independence was rejected today. Nomination day has come and gone and many persons have made their run for political office official. We’ll highlight some of those later on in this newscast but the headline of the day is definitely the Yolanda Shackron drama that unfolded today. Because of Shackron’s dual citizenship, an official objection to Shackron’s nomination was sent to returning officer Noreen Fairweather yesterday. Shackron made her way to the nomination center today where her nomination was processed by the returning officer. It was done with the understanding that an official decision would be made later in the day as to whether that nomination would be accepted or rejected. Schakron was very emotional when she came out of the nomination center this morning.
Yolanda Schakron
I am a Belizean, I love my country and this is not over yet. I will continue the fight because I see the pain and suffering that you have put the Belizean people through for these past four years. Dean Barrow, it is not over; you and the UDP will not conquer me. I want you to know that women of Belize are listening; it’s not over Dean Barrow – I will continue the fight, even if I am not allowed to run for Lake I; I will continue the fight for the people of this country and I will continue until you Dean Barrow and the United Democratic Party is out of power. I will continue being a member of the People’s United Party and I will work hard to put you out of power. We have had enough and I know that God is on my side and He is my strength and Dean Barrow, you cannot fight the power of Jesus Christ. So on March 7th the PUP will be returned to power; our people will be free.
At the time of that interview, no decision was made as yet and Shackron’s lawyers were in court today applying for an injunction against the returning officer, arguing that the law which gives her the power to decide who can be nominated is unconstitutional and such a decision can only be made by a judge. By this afternoon, the returning officer handed over the decision that even though Schakron has made a move to begin the process of renunciation of her US citizenship, today, nomination day, her dual citizenship still stands. And according to Belizean laws, that means she is disqualified from being a member of the House of Representatives. And though that was certainly bad news for Schakron and the PUP, it was a double whammy when the court challenge was also denied. But all is not lost as yet for the PUP in Lake I as before the nomination deadline this evening, the PUP had a replacement for Lake I and that is Yolanda Schakron’s brother, Martin Galvez. Galvez will now be running under the PUP banner for Lake I against UDP’s Mark King.
