KINGSTON, Jamaica - Opposition Leader Mark Golding Monday said he has taken note of Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ statement regarding his dual citizenship saying neither the prime minister nor his ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has made the issue part of the ongoing constitutional reform as the country moves towards becoming a republic.
“His proposals are therefore not in the report of the Constitutional Reform Committee and will not be in the new constitution coming out of that process,” Golding said in response to Holness television interview on the issue.
Prime Minister Holness had joined the public debate regarding Golding’s dual citizenship saying there should be no question about the undivided loyalty of any individual who wants to be or is the ultimate political leader of Jamaica.
“I believe that the Jamaican Diaspora is much bigger than our Commonwealth and that the Jamaican Commonwealth is our Diaspora wherever they are and that we should allow persons with Jamaican citizenship to be able to serve Jamaicans in our Parliament politically. “So for me, it doesn’t matter what other citizenship you have once you swear allegiance being a Jamaican citizen to Jamaica. That would be my stated position,” Holness said on the CVM television morning programme.
Last weekend, Golding, who is also the President of the People’s National Party (PNP), responding to questions about his citizenship, said the queries are politically motivated.
In a statement issued on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday, Golding acknowledged that he got a British passport as a child but stressed that he travels on a Jamaican passport.
“I am a born Jamaican and have a Jamaican passport. I’ve never hidden the fact that my father, who came to Jamaica from the UK, had got me a British passport when I was a young child.
“From before first serving in government, I travel on my Jamaican passport when I go abroad. Like other Jamaicans, I apply for visas from countries such as the US and UK to go there. I man born yah, but the local government elections and recent polls seem to be driving some to grasp at straws.”
The JLP ‘s Deputy General Secretary, Charles Sinclair, has described as “hypocritical, unacceptable and disgraceful,” Golding’s failure to publicly whether or not he has British citizenship.
Holness told television viewers that he would also that “to be the ultimate leader of a country, to be the ultimate executive leader of the country, you should have no other citizenship.
“There should be no question by your citizens that you lead that you know that you have somehow split loyalties, that you have a parachute should in case anything go wrong, that you may not be subject to the full force of the laws of the country that you serve because you are a citizen of another country you could always find a way out.
“And I think that is important. I think in the minds of every Jamaican, the question would be ‘Is the leader of your country fully, wholly and solely committed to your best interest? And there is no other loyalty or interest drawing on the decisions that they make?”
But in his statement, Golding said he had taken note of Holness’ television interview adding “furthermore Mr. Holness’ proposals this morning are not in the existing constitution and would violate the existing constitution.
“This is in keeping with his and his government’s unfortunate history of past violations of the constitution of Jamaica. It seems that the prime minister wants to make up a rule which is not part of the constitutional law of Jamaica to suit his party’s political fortunes at a time when it is waning.
“He has no power or authority to do that,” he added.
Prime Minister Holness said it is an untenable situation and ”if you intend to become leader of the country whether as prime minister or any sovereign leadership, leader of the Opposition, to head the Parliament or whatever it is, you really should divest yourself of any other loyalty that you may have”.
Last Tuesday, Golding said Jamaicans who also hold citizenship for non-Commonwealth countries should be allowed to seek political office.
“Jamaica is in the Commonwealth, and our current constitution requires Commonwealth citizenship (and at least one year’s residence in Jamaica) in order to be eligible to be a parliamentarian. Over the years, parliamentary candidates with Commonwealth passports have therefore legitimately participated in general elections to become MP’s and sat in the Senate.
“On the other hand, the current constitution prohibits non-Commonwealth citizens (who have pledged foreign allegiance) from being parliamentarians. The constitutional reform process should reconsider the current rule, and make it accord with the realities of the Jamaican experience,” he said.
But Prime Minister Holness said that while he is not against individuals with dual citizenship constituting the Parliament, he believes once that individual aspires to lead Parliament, for them to remain a dual citizen is not just untenable but is also incurable.
“For two things, we believe that we must find a way to include our Diaspora, our Jamaicans. So once you are a Jamaican, you have Jamaican citizenship, we believe you should be entitled to enter our Parliament and…serve. However, having entered the Parliament, if it is that you intend to become the ultimate decision maker then you must divest yourself of any other loyalty even if it is not required legally.
“I think anyone in that position would be untenable and not just that, I think it would be incurable. In other words, having gone ahead to say I want to lead the country ultimately and not having taken that step before, you can’t cure it afterwards because already the question is ‘why didn’t you do this before? Why did you carry us along and not declare this to us?’ So it is not just untenable, it is incurable,” Holness told television viewers.
Golding said that Prime Minister Holness needs to tell Jamaicans why his statutory declaration to the Integrity Commission “cannot be certified.
“I am compliant with the constitutional laws of Jamaica and I undertake to the people of Jamaica that I will continue to be so,” Golding said in his statement.
