Cayo Northeast Area Representative Elvin Penner is the first Mennonite to hold a seat in the National Assembly. Like many Belizean Mennonites, his parents come from Canada. But now a passing remark he made at a public consultation last night has stirred the opposition into a frenzy and raised the question on whether Penner holds dual citizenship. If he does – and even if he inherited it from his parents – the PUP argues that dual nationality would disqualify him from holding his seat in the house and force a bye-election.

Last night at the San Ignacio leg of the national consultations on dual citizenship, Penner said he is of Canadian ancestry – explaining that both his parents are Canadian. He went unto to say that he has no allegiance to any other country, but came just short of saying that he didn’t have nationality for another country.

Well, the opposition seized upon that, declaring in a quite heated release that quote, “Mr. Penner failed to clarify whether he also holds a Canadian passport or did hold one at the time of his nomination.”

And then it declares, dramatically: “The People’s United Party hereby calls on the Hon. Elvin Penner, Minister of Sports, Youth and Information to state publicly and categorically that he is not currently a Canadian citizen nor was he a Canadian citizen at the time of his official nomination to represent the Cayo Northeast Constituency in January of last year.”

Ok then, so is he, or isn’t he, or was he, and if so, when was that? So many variables.....but Penner put them all to rest today when he told us, quote, “I have never in my life held a Canadian travel document; I have never had a Canadian passport.”

Penner told us that when he visited his parents’ home country in Canada, he had to get a VISA in his Belizean passport just like anyone else. He added that regardless of what his future in politics may be, he doesn’t intend to pursue Canadian or any other kind of citizenship.