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| ......STATEHOOD
AND COMMONWEALTH ISSUES |
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The Constitution
of the United States provides for additional states to become part
of the Union.
In the late 1950s Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the Union as
the forty-ninth and fiftieth states: the first two non-contiguous
states to become part of the United States. Guyana should become
the third non-contiguous American State.
Pursuant to Article IV of the United States Constitution, Guyana
could become a territory, commonwealth, or state of the United States
by a simple majority vote of both Houses of Congress.
Historically, the Congress would not consider such a vote until
the people of a territory or republic under consideration for Statehood
voted upon the issue. A referendum on statehood, commonwealth or
US possession must be held in
Guyana as soon as possible.
Guyana is about the size of the state of Idaho; yet its population
is relatively small, only 650,000 people. There are now more than
300,000 Guyanese living in the USA. According to some studies, of
those people who remain in Guyana, nearly all of them desire or
are awaiting the issuance of an American visa.
Over 100,000 Guyanese residents of the USA have already become United
States citizens through the process of naturalization. The rest
will become citizens upon fulfilling the statutory requirements
of naturalization. The overwhelming majority of these individuals
support the incorporation of Guyana into the USA.
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- The
people of Guyana would be fully self-governing with their rights
secured under the United States Constitution, which would be the
the supreme law and have the same force and effects as in other
states of the Union;
- The
sovereign State of Guyana would be in permanent union with the
United States, and powers not delegated to the Federal Government
or prohibited to the States by the United States Constitution
would be reserved to the people of Guyana or the State Government;
- United
States citizenship for those born in Guyana would be guaranteed,
protected and secured in the same way it is for all United States
citizens born in the other states;
- Residents
of Guyana would have equal rights and benefits as well as equal
duties and responsibilities of citizenship, including payments
of Federal taxes, as those in the several States;
- Guyana
would be represented by two members in the United States and would
be represented in the House of Representatives proportionate to
the population;
- United
States citizens in Guyana would be enfranchised to vote in elections
for the President and Vice-President of the United States;
- The borders and territory of
Guyana would remain unchanged;
- The end of Guyana's prohibitively
high import tax;
- The laws (and holidays) of Guyana
would remain unchanged, subject to the Constitution and Laws of
the United States;
- An individual could not be
"deported" to Guyana, because Guyana would no longer
be a foreign country;
- All citizens of the State of
Guyana would be entitled to US passports, thereby eliminating
the need to get a visa in order to legally enter into the USA;
- The Guyanese living in or outside
of the USA would become American citizens;
- Religious observance would be
protected by the United States Constitution;
- The United States citizenship of
persons born in Guyana would be guaranteed and secured as
provided by the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution of the
United States and equal to that of citizens born in the several
states;
- Guyanese-Americans would be free
to return to Guyana and fully participate fully in the local
Guyanese political process without loosing their American
citizenship or permanent resident status;
- Statehood would mean that goods
"imported" from the U.S. would enter Guyana tax free.
The price of all goods including: computers, televisions,
automobiles and industrial machinery would no longer be
subjected to the prohibitively high "import tax."
Guyana could impose a sales tax, just like other American states
do.
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COMMONWEALTH
DEFINED: |
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As
an alternative to full-fleged statehood, a U.S. Commonwealth form
self-government could be established in which: |
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Guyana could become a Commonwealth, retaining self-government
with respect to internal affairs and administration;
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Provisions of the Constitution and laws of the United States could
apply to Guyana as determined by Congress;
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Guyana could become a locally self-governing unincorporated territory
of the United States;
- Modification
of current Federal law and policy applicable to Guyana could come
under the discretion of Congress, including, application of Federal
tax measures and Immigration laws.
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The
new Commonwealth of Guyana could be joined in a union with the United
States that could be permanent and the relationship could only be
altered by mutual consent. Under a compact, the Commonwealth could
be an autonomous body politic with its own character and culture,
not incorporated into the United States, and sovereign over matters
governed by the Constitution of Guyana, consistent with the Constitution
of the United States.
The United States citizenship of persons born in Guyana could be guaranteed
and secured as provided by the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution
of the United States and equal to that of citizens born in the several
states. The individual rights, privileges, immunities provided for
the Constitution of the United States would apply to residents of
Guyana. Residents of Guyana could be entitled to receive benefits
under Federal social programs equally with residents of several States
contingent on equitable contributions by Guyana as provided by law.
To enable Guyana to govern matters necessary to its economic, social
and cultural development under its constitution, the Commonwealth
could be authorized to submit proposals for the entry of Guyana into
international agreements or exemptions of Guyana from specific Federal
laws and provisions thereof to the United States. The President and
Congress, as appropriate, could consider whether such proposals would
be consistent with vital national interests of the United States on
an expedited basis through special procedures to be provided by law.
The Commonwealth would assume any expenses related to increased responsibilities
resulting from the approval of these proposals. |
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