“Campbell faces new citizenship challenge” – The Tribune

Excerpt from this article; “Two weeks after Transport and Local Government Frankie Campbell rejected speculation he has dual citizenship, Attorney Wayne Munroe, QC has confirmed he is looking into challenging in court whether the Cabinet minister’s citizenship can be rightfully established.

Of concern is whether the Southern Shores MP’s eligibility to run for Parliament and be elected to office was legitimate, Mr. Munroe said yesterday.  In an interview with The Tribune the lawyer said he was asked by former Senator Rodney Moncur to represent a constituent who wished to raise in court matters challenging Mr. Campbell’s Bahamian citizenship.”

Okay let me see if I have the facts of this case straight; Mr. Munroe, on the advice of Mr. Moncur seeks to challenge the citizenship of member of parliament Frankie Campbell based on an affidavit allegedly sworn to by Mr. Campbell’s mother and another woman along with another document on behalf a constituent of the Southern Shores constituency?

Just at faced value I must ask if it has already been established that his father was Bahamian, now deceased, then what is the problem but there seems to be other things at play here and most of them based in the realms of speculation, unless some are suggesting that Mr. Campbell was not born in The Bahamas and that he was brought here illegally.

So are some suggesting that he was actually born in Haiti and subsequently smuggled into the country?  This would suggest and it is speculated that his father or the man whose name he carries, Edwin Campbell, is not actually his father and further speculation is that maybe this is the reason as to why he [Edwin Campbell] never signed for Minister Campbell, a lot of speculation in that argument.

Then there is the constitutional argument; Mr. Moncur argues that as per Chapter Two of The Bahamas Constitution 3.-(1) “Every person who, having been born in the former Colony of the Bahama Islands, is on 9^th of July 1973 a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies shall, if his father becomes or would but for his death have become a citizen of The Bahamas in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph, become a citizen of The Bahamas on July 10^th 1973.”, claims that this makes Mr. Campbell a non-citizen because at the time of his birth he was not a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies and also Mr. Moncur claims that Mr. Campbell cannot claim citizenship from his father because his father was not married to his mother but the constitution itself states that “Every person who, having been born in the former Colony of the Bahama Islands, is on 9^th of July 1973 a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies shall, if his father becomes or would but for his death have become a citizen of The Bahamas.”  It has been conceded that Edwin Campbell is the father of Frankie Campbell, so therefore as he is a Bahamian citizen, by the constitution which Senator uses to base his case then becomes a Bahamian citizen; the constitution makes no stipulation of the parents having to be married.  Now Senator Moncur may be able to make a case for a poorly worded or presented affidavit but that is about it, as this does not prove any impropriety on anyone’s behalf beside that of poor workmanship.

So there are two theories as to why Frankie Campbell is not a citizen of The Bahamas; one suggesting that he was not born in The Bahamas and the other suggesting by The Constitution he was never a citizen of The United Kingdom and her Colonies because his parents were unwed and because of this was not automatically made a citizen when The Bahamas became independent in 1973.

Both arguments are simply amazing based in the fact that not only was Mr. Campbell able to obtain documents stating that he is a citizen of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas i.e. a Bahamian passport and other documents but he was also allowed to served on the Royal Bahamas Police Force for 29 years but also served in a diplomatic position in 2010 as Charge d’Affaires at The Bahamas Embassy in Port au Prince, Haiti.

So it would seem that Mr. Campbell was citizen enough to serve in these capacities but is not citizen enough to be an elected official despite the fact that both arguments as to why Minister Campbell should be removed from Cabinet and should resign as a member of parliament make no sense.

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