KINGSTON, Jamaica – A government legislator on Thursday declared that he will be renouncing his citizenship with the United Kingdom.
Matthew SamudaMatthew Samuda, who is the Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, said he decided to renounce his British citizenship after carefully listening to recent public discourse concerning the issue of dual citizenship.
“I am advanced in the process of renouncing my British citizenship which I acquired at birth,” the government senator said.
The issue of dual citizenship has been hotly debated since it came to public attention that the leader of the main opposition People’s National Party (PNP), Mark Golding is a citizen of both Jamaica and the UK.
Golding has faced calls to renounce his British citizenship as a demonstration of his “firm commitment” to Jamaica and to avoid any conflict of interest if he were to become prime minister.
However, he argues that there is no legal basis for him to renounce his status in the United Kingdom at this time as the Jamaican Constitution allows for citizens of Commonwealth countries to sit in the parliament.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness says that no person who wishes to be the ultimate leader of Jamaica should have citizenship of any other country.
