Works and Local Government Minister Dr Suruj Rambachan yesterday confirmed that he had given up his United States green card.Rambachan told the T&T Guardian that he gave up his green card two days after he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Kamla Persad-Bissessar Cabinet in 2010.He said he opted for a ten-year US visa instead.The issue of his green card and giving it up was raised by interim leader of the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) Jack Warner earlier this week.
Warner had referred to Rambachan's green card in response to what he termed "foolish questions" raised by Persad-Bissessar on the Chaguanas West campaign trail, about Warner's having to surrender his green card.Warner said he did not have to surrender his card, as was alleged by the PM, on December 28. He said he did so voluntarily and had it replaced with a ten-year US visa which was more convenient, since he no longer needed to travel to the USA as regularly as he did in the past.Warner pointed out that having a green card meant travelling to the US every six months to validate his status, which he did in July and November 2012, but no longer saw the need for this.
Yesterday, however, Rambachan said the reason he gave up his green card and the reason why Warner opted to do so were vastly different."As Minister of Foreign Affairs, as a minister of government, I did not think it prudent to have a green card," he said.He said he had it in his possession for approximately two and a half years before he opted for a visa."The problem with Mr Warner is, why did he give up his card? He is not answering that question. That is the key question," Rambachan said.He also waded into Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley and charges of corruption levelled against the ruling People's Partnership Government, saying: "Dr Rowley is trying to find a scapegoat for the fact that he has been exposed on a matter of fraudulent e-mails. I am not surprised."
